Sweet and Sour Kingdom
by luminousglitch
Summary: The following months after the fall of King Candy has been a rocky one for all the game. And as Vanellope looks back at the events following her first month of Presidency, she begins to question who her true friends are as well as question just how much control she has over the game, her life, and old and NEW friends. Written in collaboration with CandleHeadButt.
1. Prolouge

**Sugar Rush Constitutional Journal: 18/5/13**

 _Entry: President Vanellope Von Schweetz_

 _I swear to mod that this choice of democracy gets harder and harder every day! Ya'd think with Ralphie-boo and Hammer man keeping things nice with the Pielanders, Sgt. Steel Eyes keeping creepy-crawlies from overrunning the place that we'd have some peace around here right?_

 _HA._

 _COMPLETE SOUR MONKEY MILK._

 _You would have THOUGHT that after FIFTEEN YEARS of being BULLIED, THEY WOULD HAVE STOPPED? NO! I'm here, trying my HARDEST to run a whole blipping game and yet I'm still up to my CODE BOX with trouble!_

 _I thought things would have changed when I became President. I thought people would actually look up to me, that I could make Sugar Rush my home again but here I am again! I find it being torn apart between my 'friends' and my TRUE FRIENDS. I can't believe I didn't see it, I can't believe that I didn't see the way they were taking ME for a RIDE! After all that talk, they were full of so much FLUFF they could have put a whole army of Peeps to shame!_

 _Honestly if I had fists like ol' ham face I would have WIPED those guys clean across the finish, no problem!_

 _But now I've seen it for myself, I am fully confident in saying that I, President Vanellope Von Schweetz was an utter diaper baby._

 _No this ain't soppy but I can't believe I let them get to me because of my GLITCH! Nothing's changed with people! All they saw was it cept this time they didn't chase me away because of it! No, would you believe they wanted me to do whatever they wanted with it!_

 _Yeah, it's nice and sparkly but I can only do so much with it! It's not a MIRACLE power! They had me running raged, watching me blink here and there and I got SICK! I got SICK because all they cared about was the GLITCH, not me!_

 _I'm getting way too distracted and if I'm not too careful, I'm going to use up all the pages in this thing before I get to the real EXCITING stuff!_


	2. Chapter One- Fans and Fanatics

Chapter One: Fans and Fanatics.

The evening at Litwak's arcade was finally raring down after a busy day. Kids and adults alike came and went between the machines like nobody's business; every character and every sprite doing their best to keep up with the customs, but none more so was the cabinet of Sugar Rush.

Inside, the young sprites may have been tired and worn from many a-days race but there was still one fire raging within them all;

The Random Roster Race.

And today like any other the competition was as furious as ever!

The final lap was heating up, President Vanellope Von Schweetz was leading the gear in first place, much to the delight of the general candy crowd, and a raring uproar to those out-of-game. Behind came blurs of pink, brown and green.

Taffyta Muttonfudge was fiercely fighting the tides of Vanellope's glitch and ferocious speed. Candlehead taking third position, the candles n the back of her kart reaching melting point as the little vehicle edged its gears to maximum, keeping momentum towards her rivals.

Speed. Momentum, ferocity-

" _SWEET SEEKERS!"_ The race announcer yelled in a triumphant roar!

The engine of the Ice Screamer hit breakdown point as the little cake racer lined up to take the shot. Taffyta's kart was swerving violently too and throw, her attempts to overtake Vanellope as the finish line came into sight becoming ever more daring and courageous. But she was not the target.

Just when the gap was wide enough, the grin on Candlehead lit up like a birthday part, her finger squeezing the trigger as only a teasing chant could be heard by all.

"I SCREAM! YOU SCREAM! WE ALL SCREAM FER-"

*KABOOM!*

" _ICE CREAM!"_

The fans of Candlehead and the rest of the crowd roared outrageously, the sweet treats flying and careering out of control into the President's kart, the child screaming all the way as she too fell back into Taffyta, both of them being knocked off course and within inches of the crowd.

As finally with much baited breath, The Ice Screamer skidded to a halt across the finish line, the driver cheering with much delight and waving her hands all the way, her fans cheering with glee.

At least, it was delight for _**THEM.**_

Less so for the President, who pulled up not long after in SEVENTH, far too close to the cutting-room floor.

To all the other racers it was a triumphant victory. The self-appointed President's 'Glitch' was always a hassle in the races; Vanellope may have been programed to be the 'leader' of the game, but to see her smugness wiped along the tracks was almost as delightful as getting a trophy.

From out of the mass of vehicles, the pink blur of Taffyta shot out. With a flip and a twirl she ran from her kart, grabbing onto Candlehead's back with a squeal of delight, the smile on both of the children's faces showing how close the feat was.

"That was such a close shot, C-Butt!" Taffyta laughed, holding onto her friend "Did you see Vanellope's face when you got her? She looked like a CY-BUG was going to chomp her!"

The candle-headed racer ran around her competitors with much joy, the laughter coming from within was only sparked more as her little flame shot up, nearly catching Taffyta alight.

"THAT WAS AMAZIN'!" Candlehead squealed, still feeling the adrenaline rushing through her chest. She paused, the other racers wondering what could have been going through her sugar-fueled mind.

"It was just like-! _**EGHHHRC**_! An' then-! _**CLICK!**_ " The child threw herself back in joy. "Ka-! _**BOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!"**_

The others backed away, Candlehead's flames ERUPTING much that of a volcano but rather than flowing with magma and lava, a burst of rainbow sparks filled the skies. The mint-chip racer finally calmed down, simple giggles of glee her response now.

"How's that for a birthday tr-"

 _ **"CHEATER!"**_

A hoarse, slithery voice broke through the rambunctious roar of the crowd, silence drawing the figure in question closer.

Candlehead stopped, the girl feeling her color draining from her face. She knew she was in for it now.

"And where do you think you're going?" the leathery snake character hissed, its lips curling up to reveal a toothy grin "D'ya Realisse watcha done?"

Candlehead spun around, only to come face to face with the amber, beady eyes of a greaser looking snake character, the rattle on his tail vibrating menacingly. The racer gulped, at a lost of what to say or do.

"U-Uh, hi…M-M-Mister Snake-Person-Man." she smiled, wagging her little fingers at the snake "Um. W-What did I do that I shudda realized but didn't realize even though I shudda realized?"

The creature rolled its eyes "Figuressss…"

"What's going on?" asked Taffyta, stepping between her friend and the much larger snake "And why are you mad at Candlehead? She has no clue what you're talking about."

"Evidently not..." chuckled the snake "Otherwissse her shot wouldn't have been _**DUMB LUCK!"**_

Candlehead looked confused, scratching her at before giving a little shrug "Dumb luck? But if I landed tha shot, wouldn't that make it GOOD LUCK since I won?"

"Don't try to play cute, SSSSStupid!" the character shot back, giving Candlehead a forceful shove back into the mosh pit of racers, Taffyta quickly reacting to catch her. The strawberry racer growled, her glint as sinister looking as that of the snake's.

"Hey, STOP! Why'd you push her?!"

"Vanellope jussst doesn't lossse to worthless idiots like yourselvesss." The larger character growled, a few others gathering behind him " _ **SEVENTH PLACE**_!? Seventh place is for _**LOSERS**_ , just like Muttonsssludge over here."

Taffyta's cheeks began to burn in rage, her dark brows furrowing. After helping the quivering cupcake racer back on her feet, she marched over to the snake and gave her hat a threatening tug downward.

"What did you call me, Snake Oil?"

The serpentine foe hissed in frustration, slithering over to the pair just as Vanellope returned in the nick of time from her stand.

"Whoa, what'd I miss?"

Getting a clearer view, Vanellope quickly realized that the large crowd circling around the racers was gathered for celebratory reasons. She had endured enough bullying in her time to know a mob when she spotted one.

Worry creased on her face as the shouts and jeers from the crowd began to pick up, Candlehead's little voice barely audible.

" _Wait! No! D-don't fight, okay?!"_

Vanellope ran over and once she was close enough glitched through the crowd, appearing right between the sparing parties.

"Hey, hey, HEY!" the President shouted, suddenly feeling outmatched once she saw how much LARGER some of the character around her were "What's all this RUSHIN'? Tha race is over!"

"I wassss going to take care of these cavities, President!" growled the snake, aiming his eyes at the still peeved Taffyta and the terrified Candlehead "The cake one! Ssssshe cost you a much desssserved RACE!"

"What? Is THAT what his is all about?" Vanellope stated, blinking in surprise "Aaaaw, c'mon! Candlehead got me right in tha sweet spot! I think that move was worth a first-place win an' besides! I still made it for tha roster so what's tha big deal?"

Candlehead and Taffyta looked up, noticing the snake's mood darken. He had gotten the two twerps where he wanted them and was certain he had gained the Presidential approval for his actions. Instead, he found himself faced with an unexpected blow, the vanilla racer not sharing his bitter feelings towards the girls but he would not let that stop him.

Quietly, he slithered up to the President and gave a heartwarming smile, or as warming as a SNAKE could manage.

"Presssident. Even ya ssshould surely know that any spot lower than firsssst isnt fiitin' for someone of your... _**TALENTS**_." The character kindly insisted only then to be joined by back up from a few supporting players.

Vanellope and the others felt the crush of the crowd slowly surrounding them, none of them finding the words to speak.

"Yeah!" chirped a voice beside Vanellope, the girl looking over to see a smidge of a firefly NPC flittering up to her "Like he said, you're number ONE when it comes to the track!"

Another character quickly popped up, pushing the firefly out of the way "None better, if ya ask me!"

Vanellope could only turn but for a moment before another character popped up and the another and then another, all singing a similar song towards her.

"Guys! Whoa-!"

"There's never been more excitin' races here before ya showed up!" called someone.

"Seeeee?" hissed the snake, putting his boney hands upon Vanellope's shoulders much to the girl's discomfort "We're all rooting for you here!"

"That's…nice, I guess." The girl managed to get out, feeling as if more people were coming from out of the code-void around her "But-!"

"After so many yearssssss, you desssserve the best, to have assss much fun asssss your heart dessssiressss! You sssssshouldn't sssssettle for ssseventh place because of placccce holdersss!"

The crowd of visitors agreed as some turned their attention towards the other candy racers in particular, Taffyta.

The girl was no dummy; she knew the looks given towards her were those of contempt but after so much time from the reset the girl was not afraid of the sneers and looks. She quickly stared back at the crowd with cute ferocity but there was as much venom in her eyes as there was in the snake's fangs. If looks could kill then Taffyta would be the equivalent of a slash to the chest.

"What was that, Fangs?" Taffyta sneered, Candlehead still hiding below to avoid any form of confrontation from above. "Placeholders? We are NOT placeholders."

Candlehead couldn't stand to be in the light any longer. All she wanted to do was get away from the crowd, but with every eye in the game upon her it was almost impossible to wriggle out of sight.

" _U-um? T-Taffy?_ " The child whimpered slightly, tugging on the sleeve of her friend's jacket. " _I-it's okay. I mean, tha races are over so maybe we should just-_ "

 _ **"GO!"**_ Bellowed another character, this on appearing to be a rodent enemy, a rather well-built and well-armed one at that. Candlehead yelped loudly at the shout directed towards her, her pig tails spinning.

"A-Ah, what-?!"

"Ya heard us!" said the rodent warrior "See, you're stirrin' up trouble already just because we called ya out for cheatin'!"

"But I didn't cheat!" Candlehead protested, getting more and more visible upset "I mean-! I don't think I cheated? I-I just used a Sweet Seeker like I always do but did I do it wrong? Did I activate it late? Is there a new rule I-?"

Before the cake-themed racer could say another word, the rodent gave her a sharp shove, the other racers surprised at how far the little creature could push her back. Seeing the girl fall, both Vanellope and Taffyta shared looks of shock.

"HEY!"

"CANDLEHEAD!"

"Sssstop playing SSSSTUPID with us." Growled the snake, standing behind the rodent in agreement "We know it'sssss an act and we can ssseee right through it! You knew exactly what you were doing when you took Vanellope'ssss place!"

Taffyta was at her rage point now, the strawberry girl certain she could feel her code burning at her fingertips. She stomped towards the rodent and gave him a well-placed bop on the head with her gloved fist.

"OI!"

"What was THAT for?!" the pink racer growled "C-Butt didn't do anything to you so why did you push her like that!"

"Little pink BULLY!" shouted the snake, his rattle buzzing in a fury "Don't you dare put a hand on my friend!"

"And don't put a hand on US!" the girl shot back, Candlehead still on the ground behind her "You call me a bully but look at what you-!"

"Taffyta, stop!" Vanellope shouted, getting between the racer and the snake "Don't make me get tha boys ta cart ya away!"

"They just attacked us for no reason!" The strawberry racer pointed accusingly. "Candlehead scored a perfectly DESERVED shot on you and suddenly, SHE'S in the blame for preventing YOU from winning!?"

" _ **ATTACKED**_ is a VERY sssstrong word ya usin' there, Muttonfudge!" hissed the snake, standing diligently before the child "Unlike you, I was WORRIED that Vanellope was goin' ta get injured in that FIREBALL your dumb little friend caused!"

From within the crowd of the other racers, Candlehead sniffled. She was very well aware the others made their jokes about her well-known air-headedness but she knew when she was being insulted. Unlike Taffyta however the cake-themed racer was never the one to gather up anger to strike back so quickly.

At this point, there were far too many witnesses to the event to fully escape the scene and what was worse were all the faces looking right at her, her ears picking up some of their comments about her and her 'driving skills'. The young girl had no idea what to do as she shakenly got to her feet and a chorus of hearty laughed came her way.

"I-it's just one of my attacks." The girl meeped, her head lowered and her candle going out "I-I can try ta aim better or-"

 _ **"DON'T TRY AT ALL!"**_ The Venomous creature shot back again, this time swinging back at the racer with his tail but he was caught, Taffyta's kick moving legs knocking the appendage back.

"Youch!"

At this point Taffyta knew that she was about to take part within a losing battle, and it only took the affirmation of Swizzle and Rancis coming to her assistance to deepen the blow.

"Taffy! Hold it back, luv!" the peanut-butter racer moaned, pulling his fellow racer to her feet but she struggled much to his dismay.

"But you heard them! They called us placeholders!"

"Isn't that what you are?" asked a voice from the crowd, adding to the strawberry racer's rage "I mean, Vanellope is PRESIDENT so doesn't that mean the rest of you guys are-!"

"So WHAT if Vanellope made herself PRESIDENT?!" Taffyta fumed, making everyone around her jump "That doesn't mean that the rest of us don't mean anything! We're racers and we've ALWAYS been racers so

-!"

"Yeah, maybe under King Candy's rule!" growled the mouse, crossing his arms against his chest "But things are different now, kiddo! Vanellope's back so it's HER game!"

"OUR game!" Taffyta fumed, stamping her foot in frustration "This is OUR game, OUR game, OUR GAME! This isn't Vanellope Rush or Vanellope Race Way Kingdom! This is SUGAR RUSH! And we're PART of it, whether you like it or not!"

The serpentine adversary gave the girl a look that was very clear in telling that he indeed did not like it, not one bit.

"Okay, okay. I get it Taffyta." Vanellope groaned, putting a hand to her head "Ya can't just lash out on a character like that."

"And what about them?!" Taffyta protested, a hand gesturing towards Candlehead "You tell us to back off but when they push _**US**_ around, we're supposed to take it?!"

Vanellope took one look at Candlehead and then placed her glance back upon Taffyta. She knew it wasn't right; she knew the crowd had gone way too far in their actions in order to defend Vanellope's racing record but there was something to Taffyta's own behavior that scared her.

It was reminiscent of those unforgettable days when the strawberry racer would round the other racers against her, taking their turns shoving her into the chocolate mud for so many years.

After the reset, they had assured her that they had changed, that once their memories were restored things would be fine but things didn't seem so peachy-keen as Vanellope had been promised.

"Well…." Vanellope began, the other racers eyeing her in anticipation. She shoved her hands in her pocket, trying to look as calm and as smug as possible as she could "M-Maybe C-Butt did lay it on a little rough?"

The crowd gave some words of approval, the other racers looking as if the rug had once more been pulled out from under them. Candlehead looked inconsolable, finally convinced that her moves were indeed wrong.

"But I-!"

"So you can _**GLITCH**_ here and there…." Growled Taffyta, her eyes narrowing "But when WE use our signature moves, the moves that we were FAIRLY programmed with that DON'T give us an unfair advantage-?!"

Glitch; the way Taffyta said it stung the vanilla racer so much. Never until recently did she think that the term would cause her to feel sick to her stomach again, the girl recoiling slightly. The strawberry racer caught the break in Vanellope's shell, her target struck.

"Yeah. That's right. You just want all the glory to yourself now, don't you? What other reason would you or these CREEPS try to say our moves are CHEATING against YOU when you have the BIGGEST cheat in the game!"

"I-it's not a CHEAT, Taffyta!" Vanellope screamed.

"Then try to race without it for once!" Taffyta roared back "I bet you couldn't do it! I KNOW you couldn't do it otherwise you wouldn't squirm for it when you KNOW you're losing!"

Everyone around, from game residence to visitors, were AGHAST had how quickly Taffyta had turned, her anger letting lose what those around could only assume where here TRUE feelings about the vanilla racer. Even in her own mind, the strawberry girl wasn't sure what she had really just said but after so many weeks of nonstop lampooning and shouting at the expense of the other racers, she just could not take it anymore.

And after the final insult, Vanellope could not take it either.

"I-Is…." Vanellope swallowed, a lump forming in her throat "Is…is that what ya really think, Taffyta?"

For a moment or so the other girl said nothing, everyone still silent. For those who were close, they could see the girl in pink shaking but she forced herself up, standing straight before Vanellope.

"I-is….is that what YOU think?"

Vanellope looked up, eyes glistening over "Do I think WHAT?!"

"Do you think we're placeholders?" Taffyta said, trying her best to keep her voice from cracking "I wanna know. If everything was normal, if Turbo hadn't come here…would you only see us as PLACEHOLDERS?"

Both girls were obviously hurt, Taffyta from the insults of the crowd and Vanellope from Taffyta's apparently refusal to fully accept her. Either girls were ready to go down just yet but they still did not know what to say towards each other. On her side, Taffyta stood for the racers but on Vanellope, she had her new collection of friends, friends that she felt could truly appreciate her for who she was.

The sugar President clutched her tiny fist, a scowl forming on her face as she tried to hold her tears back.

"Ya know what, Taffyta?"

The girl's cold glare cut right through Vanellope, though it wouldn't have taken much to see or guess that she was losing steam.

"Ya guys can have this win." Vanellope said smugly, knocking Candlehead's trophy over as if it were nothing.

Candlehead looked so hurt by the movement but not due to the trophy falling on the dust but rather just how Vanellope was gleaming towards her. It was a cold and uncaring smile, one that the girl felt she would be unable to turn no matter how many cakes or apologies she gave to the President.

"I know I'm gonna win others. I'm gonna win others runnin' circles 'round all of ya."

Some of the people in the crowd gave their sounds of approval, finding the girl's refusal to back down against her formers bullies a sight to be seen.

"Sure ya well, GLITCH." Taffyta growled, her eyes starting to burn "Less someone finally gets ya disqualified."

"C'mon guys, I don't wanna waste tha night here." Vanellope said, her voice finally breaking despite her efforts "There's a lotta places we can hang out here an' if they're so booty-mad-?"

Without any more fanfare the two groups separated, or rather Vanellope took her new friends away from the track, leaving the game's original inhabitants alone.

"Taffyta?" Rancis asked but the girl ignored his words, stomping away "Taffyta, wait!"

"Wow! That was….HEATED." Gloyd whistled, putting his arms behind his head. Minty growled again, her hands going to her hips.

"Guess we're just lucky it ended as soon as it did! I wudda clocked that Snake-Eye's a new one had he kept flappin' his mouth!"

If there was one thing that was for certain on that day at the tracks, it was that things weren't right for both parties. No one knew who was really to blame for all the recent trouble but as Taffyta made her way back to her kart, she knew on thing was for certain.

"I'm not gonna let Vanellope win. Not again."


	3. Chapter Two- Strawberries and Cake

Chapter Two: Strawberries and Cake

The uproar that had only just happened at the raceway was enough to upset anyone that had attended. Both Vanellope and Taffyta found themselves at the wrong ends of each other once more, heartbroken and close to breaking their mesh's with frustration.

The strawberry racer couldn't tell if this was for the better or the worst, all she knew is that she NEEDED to get back at her, She had an idea on where to start but a question still lingered within her brain; what could she do against the arcade's most beloved racer?

"They'd sniff her tail pipes if they could…." The girl growled mockingly "Line up to take her dirty hankies, fawn over her garbage. They said we followed King Candy? There ones to talk!"

The mood in her right now was somber, and the bleak skies of the day did nothing but reflect on how bad the situation was. Within her was a something sour, something sour she wanted to wipe from her mouth but she knew it would not leave until she had shown Vanellope, until she had shown EVERYONE in the arcade.

Maybe then, they would all learn to keep their pixels shut.

" _Heeey! Taaaaaaff!"_

The girl in pinked stopped, feeling the edges of her hair starting to curl and her toes twinkle. She turned, seeing a tiny little light flickering in the darkness of the path; only one light could shine so bright even in the most gloomy darkness.

"Candles?"

Candlehead huffed up the path, Taffyta left only to guess the moment when her friend had gone after ya.

"W-Wait up, will ya?"

Despite all efforts to keep her angered mood upon her face, Taffyta softened. She knew Candlehead wasn't exactly the fastest racer in mind nor her feet but even with her lack of leg strength she had still taken such effort to catch up with her friend to make sure she was alright.

Maybe there was someone in the arcade who did care about Taffyta after all.

The cake-themed girl was red in the face, tiny beads of sweat on her brow.

"F-Finally-! C-Caught up with ya!"

Taffyta hunched her shoulders, tucking her arms behind her back "Shouldn't ya be celebrating with the others? I mean, you did win first place."

"I-I left tha trophy back at tha garage!" Candlehead said "Af-after ya an' Vanellope split, I was so upset! I just wanted ta know where ya went! If ya were okay!"

"You know I can take care of myself." The strawberry racer answered in a snooty tone "Why didn't you head back with Vanellope? She is the PRESIDENT after all?"

The wax had started to melt atop Candlehead's hat but as Taffyta looked upon her, she could have sworn her friend had begun to melt as well. She knew the girl's mannerisms, the way she ticked and tocked about. She was upset but what about, Taffyta did not know.

Or perhaps she did know and she did not want to fully admit it.

"Um…I-I think Vanellope is taken care of…." Candlehead said, her voice so low and sad "I…."

Taffyta arched a brow "You WHAT?"

The cake-headed girl shivered, Taffyta watching as she bit her lip in nervousness.

"T-Taffyta?"

"Yeah?"

" _Th-thanks…."_

The strawberry girl's cheeks turned as red as her favorite fruit and for a moment all formalities dropped, her mind returning to a childlike way and feelings. She blinked, big blue eyes filled with curiosity and wonder.

"You wanted to thank me for what?"

"For stickin' up for me…." Candlehead replied, her head still low "I….I don't think I wudda been able ta say anythin' if they kept comin' at me."

Seeing Candlehead act in such a manner brought anger back, Taffyta's mind going back to the way the group had ganged up upon the racer, how they had laughed at her, how they had accused her of cheating.

How dare they? How dare they do such a thing and she knew WHY they were doing it.

They were doing it for Vanellope; that was always the reason. They were doing it for her, to make her happy, to make her feel so special and magical in the arcade.

That was the reason and it made Taffyta feel sick to her stomach worse than too many lollipops.

She took another look at Candlehead, the racer's eyes shiny with tears.

"Hey, hey-!" the strawberry racer gasped, rushing over to her friend "Um-! Um, don't cry? It's gonna be okay?"

In any other case, the former King's favorite race would have been able to make a pity remark and a witty joke to return the others to pep but now? Now Taffyta had not a clue as what to do to help Candlehead, to help the others….or how to help herself. All she could was wrap an arm around the girl, hugging her tight. As awkward as it was, there was something about the hug that made the girls feel a little better.

"U-Uh….they're just jealous." Taffyta began "Heh-heh, what other reason could they have to be so butt-hurt about you winning?"

Candlehead said not a word, wiping her eyes.

"I mean, the way you used that Seeker to catch ol' Von Cheats off guard! Screeeeech! UUUURNT! She couldn't gl-gl-GLITCH her way outta that so what other way to take away YOUR fun than to-"

"Taffyta, stop."

The girl looked down, Candlehead kneeling on the ground as she rocked on her heels, head tucked down.

"What, you didn't eat too much cake for breakfast again, did you?"

"I don't wanna be mad at Vanellope…." Candlehead said "I don't wanna be mad at Vanellope, I don't wanna be mad at ya, I don't wanna be mad at anyone but-!"

"But what?"

Candlehead sank closer to the ground, Taffyta hearing sobs from in-between her folded arms.

"Candlehead!"

"Should-?! Should I be happy?!" Candlehead cried "Sh-should I be happy with me?! Should I be happy ta race, should I be happy ta-?!"

"Candlehead, stop!" Taffyta panted, looking the girl right in the eyes "W-what-!? What do ya mean?"

The cake-themed girl's lip quivered, eyes filling with more tears.

"I won a race…but no one wants me ta win. No one wants us ta win. All they wanna do is see Vanellope win an' see us lose!"

Taffyta felt her throat starting to tighten again, her stomach turn.

"I…I don't know what ta think anymore. Everyone tells us that we're just Turbo's kids so…so is that true? Does that mean we can't do nothin' else? Does that mean we shouldn't race anymore? I-I mean, everyone says we shouldn't because of how mean we were ta Vanellope an'-!"

" _ **UUUURGH! STOOOOOP!"**_

One would have surprised if Taffyta's yell had not reached EVERY game in the arcade, her little voice echoing throughout the path and scaring Candlehead on her rump. Taffyta was once again red in the face, her dark brows scrunched in anger.

She knew it; there was no denying it now.

"I am SOOOOO SICK of hearin' about Vanellope!" the girl shouted, flicking her wrist about "Vanellope this! Vanellope that! Vanellope can glitch! As if she's the only glitch that has ever existed or ever will!"

Candlehead wiped her eyes again, looking up in shock "T-Taffyta?"

"Rrrrgh! Those-! Those JERKS! They only started caring about this game once Vanellope started showing off! Do you think they cared about us BEFORE that?! Do you think they cared about her BEFORE that?! NO! But from the way they're acting you'd think they KNEW she was here and they did all they could to save her! HA! I've had blisters on my hands from driving too hard that were more loyal than them!"

Candlehead was a little confused, her mind feeling as if it were being flipped.

"Um, Taffy?"

Taffyta put her hands upon her hips, looking into the colorful, cotton-candy filled sky.

She knew that things had changed within Litwak's but she also knew that didn't mean she and the others had to lower themselves, that they had to just ACCEPT the way their game was being turned upside down yet again.

If Vanellope had the right to stand up for herself, they had all the rights to do the same and no glitching 'President' and her entourage was going to keep them from doing so!

At least…that's what Taffyta thought her in head. In her heart, the girl was scared. She felt that she was but one racer going up against an entire arcade that hated her, the other racers now counting on her to lead them once again but not to keep the glitch out.

Rather to keep the glitch from tearing them down.

Taffyta sighed, not knowing what to do. She sat next to Candlehead, the two of them silent for a moment as the wind swept around them but unlike all those years before the air was not so sweet. There was no sweetness, nothing good to be seen, felt, or heard.

Sugar Rush had changed for the other racers and not for the better.

"Taffyta?"

The girl looked over, Candlehead nervously twirling her pigtail between her fingers.

"Do…do ya really think I'm a good racer?"

Taffyta's mouth dropped slightly, surprised that Candlehead would ask her such a thing.

"I mean….I can't glitch like Vanellope. I don't have anythin' special like her. I'm _**NOT**_ special like her…so? So am I still a good racer?"

Taffyta's seemed to relax, turning her head away "Do you think I'm a good friend?"

Candlehead nodded, her eyes wide and brightening to their usual shade. It was something Taffyta loved to see, her pink lips curling into a smile.

"There's your answer, C-Butt."

"So…?

"So what?"

"What do we do now?" Candlehead asked again, Taffyta hearing the fear in her voice "I…I don't think I can go back there if Vanellope-!"

"Candlehead, we HAVE to go back." Taffyta replied, helping her friend off the ground "That's our role in this game."

"But what if those guys come back an' keep sayin' mean stuff about us? I mean, they already said that I CHEATED an' if they say it ta everyone else-?"

"We're gonna show 'em…." Taffyta growled, taking Candlehead by her hand and leading her away, back towards the village "We gonna show 'em that Sugar Rush doesn't begin or end with Vanellope."


	4. Chapter Three- Tea Time

Chapter Three- Tea Time

It had been a few hours since the incident at the race track had occurred and while most of the racers were off doing their own thing, the President's 'entourage' were heading back to their home games, Vanellope busy scurrying about the throne room in an attempt to clean up before her guests arrived.

Too and fro the young child skipped and slid, making a sure that any and all mess of royal documents and other toys were put away in any nook and cranny it would fit. Sour Bill for one was shocked, never in the few months since Vanellope was in power had he seen the girl so eager to clean.

"Madame President?" The sour ball groaned in his usual boorish tone, "Is everything alright? You never go to such length- **AH!** "

Sour Bill gave a shout as Vanellope glitched behind him, rushing him over to the next room as fast as she could.

"Sorry Billy!" The child panted with worry, placing the ball back on his tiny feet before she began dashing off "Ya know that how much of a fuss Felix puts up when he sees this place in a mess!"

Vanellope paused, if only to look around and see what else needed doing.

The throne room was still a gigantic mess. While there was not much more paper left as there was, it certainly still looked like a child had crammed it away in an attempt to look neat, especially when it came to the dressers but back to reality she shook herself, rubbing her nose ever so gently and dashing back to the throne before finally the main door knocked gently. The worry on Vanellope's face creased into a joyous smile as she bounded towards the main door, opening it up with glee.

"GUYS!"

The smallest of the group beamed warmly, the repairman placing his hat against his chest in a kind gesture as he waltzed into the place, hand in hand with his wife. "An' good afternoon ta you Madame Von Schweetz! How are you today?"

The Wrecker of the group couldn't help but chuckle at the way Felix spoke. He was always so mannered to the child, why couldn't he be more relaxed and softer with the words like himself?

"Easy there, brother. You don't wanna go an' let this President thing go an' get ta her head." Ralph teasingly remarked, brushing a hand over his friend's hair as he eyed Felix smugly. "Next thing ya know, she'll be calling on ya ta do all tha royal repairs!"

" _ **PRESIDENTAL**_." Vanellope corrected with a cheeky grin "Presidential, Frat-Brains. Now, enough with all tha borin' stuff. Let's get on with tea!"

The girl turned towards the green sour ball, her smile still beaming.

"Hey, Billy-Billy! Think ya can get us some tea?"

The little ball sighed, skittering off into the kitchen and leaving Vanellope with her guests. With the candy-man gone, Vanellope hopped up and slouched on her giant throne, giving a tired moan afterwards.

"Somethin' tha matter, kid?" Calhoun asked, the girl rubbing her eyes.

"Why is it so hard ta run a game without people goin' all skittle-brained?" The child frowned, turning towards Calhoun "I swear, keepin' tha crawlies in check must be easier than handlin' tha rabble around here-"

"Rabble?" Ralph turned with a confused frown "Whaddya mean kid? From what I've heard, tha races have been goin' on better than ever."

The child shook her head sadly, the tiredness in her eyes showing that there was something bigger going on "Nope. It's just…"

"Just what?" Felix asked curiously.

"I think tha racers are gettin' too big for their wrappers!" Vanellope jumped up, her brows starting to crease "I mean today, Taffyta lashed out at one of tha vistin' characters-!"

"She did WHAT?" the Space Marine questioned "Muttonfudge lashin' out?"

"Oh, she didn't just do that!" Vanellope nodded "She went in for tha THROAT!"

"THA THROAT?!" Felix gasped, a hand going to the nape of his neck

"Well, maybe it was more like the head…." Vanellope said "But she still went after a guy!"

"All this because ya won?" Calhoun scowled "Will tha kid ever-?"

"Um…"

"UM?"

"Actually…. _ **I**_ didn't win either." The racer continued "C-Butt was the one who won."

"An' Taffyta got angry at Candlehead?" 

"N-No."

"Then who did she get mad at?"

Attention turned to the girl once more, the racer feeling the end of her pigtail curling.

"Nelly?"

"It was this guy, actually a snake. He's been comin' ta tha game for a while since Turbo bit the dust an' he's brought all his friend here an'-!"

"What does this hafta do with Taffyta an' Candlehead, kid?" Ralph asked.

"Look, it's just-! It's just stupid, okay? Candlehead won tha race an' then Taffyta comes in an' punches tha snake on his head! I mean-! It wasn't as if tha guy was bein' so tough on her!"

"So tough?" Felix asked, his brow arched. He had a feeling there was more to the story than Vanellope was letting on "Vanellope, what actually happened?"

The racer pouted, suddenly feeling that things were going to take a sour turn but there was no point in hiding the truth from Felix; he would get it from her one way or another.

"Well….okay, so maybe Candlehead got pushed around. An' maybe that's tha reason Taffyta jumped in…."

"An'?" Felix asked once more, all eyes on him as he moved closer to Vanellope, concern creasing on his face "They PUSHED her? That sounds sorta like a big deal ta me."

"Urgh, m-maybe people got a lil too excited after tha race." Vanellope growled "I mean, they were goin' on 'bout C-Butt cheatin' an' then she got upset an' then Taffyta got all shovey an'-!"

"But DID she cheat?"

Everyone turned towards Felix, the man surprisingly calm despite the mood in the air.

"What, buddy?" asked Ralph.

"DID Candlehead cheat?" Felix asked Vanellope again "I mean, that's a pretty big accusation ta make on someone."

Vanellope began to feel a little uneased, the story starting to slip from her fingers.

"N-No…" the girl meeped, already seeing Felix's brows arch "She didn't."

"Then what a thing ta say ta a kid!" the repairman retorted, clearly upset "No wonder she was upset."

"Maybe so but don't ya think it was a lil much for Muttonfudge ta take it on tha guy like that?" asked Calhoun. Ralph rolled his eyes and snorted, trying his best to sip his tea.

"THAT statement comin' from someone who'd have no problem pluggin' someone who looked at her funny."

Calhoun's retort? A well-placed slap to the back of Ralph's head.

"What was I supposed ta do?!" Vanellope growled, throwing herself back in the cushion of her throne "I mean, there was so much yellin', so much screamin'! Tha guys were goin' one way, everyone else tha other! I can't handle everythin' on my own!"

"Still, that is rather upsettin'." Felix said "If Miss Candlehead won fair an' square, it isn't right for anyone ta accuse her of cheatin'. Not sayin' that Miss Muttonfudge was right in goin' inta tha attack like that either but-!"

" _She said I have tha biggest cheat in tha game…."_

The adults turned their attention towards the slouching President, her cheeks turning red in fury.

"She said that I was tha biggest cheat in tha game after that…."

"Who did?"

"Taffyta." Growled Vanellope "Who else."

Calhoun shook her head, rubbing the bridge of her nose "Some things never change I guess…."

"Oh, Tammy, c'mon."

"Felix, for tha lack of better terms, stop sugar coatin' things!" the Marine snapped "Sounds ta me that tha Muttonfudge kid isn't innocent in all'a this!" 

"I never said that she was, Tamera." Felix corrected "I'm just tryin' ta examine things in a bigger view, that's all an' it sounds ta me like-."

"Sounds ta me like Taffyta is still a brat." Ralph growled.

"RALPH."

"I hafta join in with Wreck-It on this one." Said Calhoun.

"TAMERA."

"But Felix, she said every time I GLITCH, I CHEAT!" Vanellope jumped "It's just like back in tha day when-!"

"When Turbo, was here. I understand that."

"Then….I don't get it, Felix." Ralph said, looking down at the men, Felix's expression showing that he was deep in thought "Given everythin' that Nelly told us, it just sounds like those kids are still actin' like rotten cavities."

"So it's fine for people ta waltz in here an' accuses 'em of things they didn't do?" Felix protested towards his friend "I mean in games like this, CHEATIN' is a heavy crime ta be thrown at an-."

"Felix, look. They're just bad kids!" Ralph said "They're programed that way an'-!"

" _ **PROGRAMMED?"**_

All went silent upon hearing Felix's voice, his usually soft and flighty toned replaced by something far heavier and cold. Even Calhoun was surprised, not used to seeing her husband behave in such a manner but apparently something had been struck, a pixel hit, a switch flipped.

The little man took in a few deep breaths, collecting himself as he removed his hat.

"Ralph?"

Both the Wrecker and candy-racer looked at the man, the sincerity clear in his eyes.

"Y-Yeah, Brother."

"Do you remember what it was like when everyone thought you were just 'PROGRAMMED' to be a bad guy?"

Ralph felt his entire body twitch; how could he not? He had spent thirty-years living under the stigma as well as many others.

"I know there is nothin' I can do ta give ya back all that time, given I could have said somethin', done somethin' more ta help but…but I want all of ya ta think of what you're sayin' for a second. Are ya really sayin' that all those kids, all those kids are just ' _ **PROGRAMMED'**_ an' they CAN'T be anythin' else? That they're _**INCAPABLE**_ of thinkin' on their own?"

Ralph felt a struggle from within; all he wanted to do was ensure that Vanellope was safe and that no one was bullying but he knew deep within his heart that Felix was right, that he had spoken out of turn.

"I know ya guys won't believe me on it, an' I don't blame ya if ya didn't…." Felix continued "But there's been a lot goin' on since all of this upheaval. Ya may have been havin' fun but characters are at character's throats worse than ever. We've got bad guys fightin' with NPCs fightin' with heroes over who's more worthy, who's does more, who-!"

Felix stopped himself, shaking his head. He was getting carried away and he knew it wasn't good. He had promised himself that he would help as many people as he could in the wake of Turbo but as things were turning out, his work was cut out for him.

"Felix, what are ya sayin'?" Calhoun asked.

"What I'm ASKIN'…." the man said "Is that rather than jump ta conclusions, ya know, tha thing that got us into this mess in tha first place, we give those kids a chance an' see what's really up."

Calhoun was surprised by her husband's reply, scratching her cheek "Ya really think it's worth it?"

"Yes, I do." The repairman said before turning his sights back onto Vanellope "I mean, when ya got back into tha game, those guys welcomed ya back right?"

Vanellope felt her cheeks flashing "W-Well…yeah…."

"Then what changed so fast between that an' this? Everyone left on such good turns, they knew what they had done was wrong, so-?"

"Look, I dunno!" Vanellope cried out "I dunno, Felix! I just dunno but-! But I'm not gonna be tha glitch again ta 'em! An' I'm not a cheat!"

"I'm not sayin' you hafta take that from them, that ya hafta take their words if tha DO start bullyin' ya again but while that's goin' on, no one has tha right ta push THEM around or tell them that they're cheatin' when they're doin' what YA love ta do too!" 

"An' what's that?"

" _ **RACIN'.**_ " Felix said in a powerful voice "Those kids love ta race just like ya do an' everyone here should be able ta enjoy that without bein' accused of cheatin' or bullied. An' that means for EVERYONE, not just YOU Vanellope."

There was something to Felix's words that made the girl glitch a little. Had he been watching the events over her shoulder like some sort of guardian? Did he have eyes and ears placed somewhere which she could only fear about?

Ralph on the other hand wasn't too sure about Felix's position, the Wrecker's thoughts shared with Calhoun's. He had seen how the racers had treated Vanellope first hand and in the back of his mind he didn't see the problem in the idea of them getting roughed up. Maybe they deserved it for what they had done to her for so long.

But the more he thought….the more he felt like someone else.

Turbo.

He remembered how he had ENCOURAGED the racers to go about their torture of the girl, how he had stood around and done nothing as she was pushed around, as she was kicked around.

Everyone considered Ralph to be the hero of the arcade; they looked up to him AND Vanellope as beacons, as inspirations….

But if he ALLOWED kids to be bullied, if he ALLOWED kids to be tormented when they had done nothing wrong, then what type of inspiration was he?

He still felt a little unsure of the situation, all his worry and concern placed upon Vanellope, but he knew that Felix was right, that despite what they had done the kids did deserve a second chance as well as a life without being hounded on for their past actions.

"Alright, fine." Ralph moaned, rubbing his face "We'll….we'll take your advice on this one, Slim."

A soft smile formed on Felix's face, the man placing a hand against his heart "Ralph? Vanellope? Thanks for understandin' this."

"Call it goin' on tha honor system." Calhoun said, giving her husband a stern look "But there's a way that tha honor system works, babe." 

"I-I know, Tammy."

"If those kids step outta line once, their chances are gone." The woman growled, Felix knowing she was being serious in her words but he was on his own.

"Why does it sound like ya don't think they can do it?" the repairman said "Why does it sound like ya don't even wanna give 'em a chance?"

"I DO wanna give 'em a chance!" Calhoun said, crossing her arms "But a leopard can't change their spots."

 _"An' a racer can't show their_ _ **REAL**_ _character when they're under the control of someone else for fifteen years."_

"FELIX."

"Guys, guys!" Vanellope shouted as she got between the adults, seeing that things were getting out of control "Um-! Um, thanks for carin' so much about this silly game. I mean, yikes! I was just talkin' 'bout Candlehead an' some snake guy-!"

The girl sighed, feeling far too frustrated at this point. She didn't want to think about fights and least of all what the others had to say about her.

She just wanted to enjoy racing again.

"Let's just talk about somethin' else, okay?" the girl grumped, nibbling a cookie "This whole thing has left a bitter taste in my mouth…."


	5. Chapter Four- Recolor Round-Up

Chapter 4: Recolor Round-Up

The conversation at the castle had taken a very deep dive that day, and it wasn't long before the guests were all on their way home, Vanellope needing time to think for herself and rest from the craziness of the day. The moment her head hit her marshmallowly pillows, the lull of sleep had its grasp around her, the gears in her head finally slowing down just enough to let her tired mind embrace the slumber she needed.

But for Tamera Calhoun, the discussion had left quite the sour taste in her mind. There was no arguing over the facts that her husband had provided; no one was programmed to act the way they do. Everyone acted on their own personality traits, and if the racers were up to something then it wouldn't have been coded.

Felix could tell something was amuck on the way back to the entrance of the game, the expression his wife pulling was disheartening to say the very least.

"Uhm… Is there somethin' tha matter honey?" the Repairman spoke up, stopping in his tracks to look up at his wife with worry.

No matter how many times Felix did this it always got through to Tammy, the woman sighing as she stopped and sat upon a gumdrop, if only to look into her husband in a more formal manner.

"Was I wrong ta be so quick ta judge?" The woman asked, feeling a small sense of guilt welling up in her.

"About what?"

"Tha KIDS, Felix!" the woman shouted, quickly correcting herself as she heard just how LOUD she had shouted "I mean-!"

She knew she couldn't lay on her patented 'soldier speak' on this, especially now that a few candy eyes were looking upon her. For this situation, keeping a profile low would be for the best.

"Vanellope? Taffyta?" she began, holding her hands out to either side to symbolize both "There are too many stories, too many sides, an' all I wanna do is get ta tha bottom of tha REAL one!"

"Ah-huuuh?" Felix nodded, watching his wife's movements.

"I thought Vanellope scared those kids straight when she gave 'em her joke, that they got it through their heads not ta act like lil snots but? Vanellope tells us that Muttonfudge jumped on someone but it may have been outta DEFENSE so-?"

Even taking care of loose Cy-bugs was easier than guessing the actions of a child to the Marine, her head starting to split. Despite her certainty before, she could feel it starting to slip the more she thought about the situation. She breathed out again, scratching the back of her head.

"Man, I guess havin' a trigger finger doesn't make up for bein' 'round kids, I guess."

Ralph said nothing, turning on his feet as he gave his friend a look. Given the moment, Felix was the best man to handle this job.

Felix could only pout in concern as he placed his wife's chin in his hand, giving her a small kiss on the nose, a sign of reassurance for the addled Marine.

"How does tha ol' sayin' go, Ralphie?"

The big man smiled, playing coy around the two "We're more than just our pixels?"

"Right!" the hammer wielding hero said in a positive voice "Yeah, we saw tha worst of those kids when Turbo was still kickin' but I'm not buyin' this 'sudden lash out' thing. I feel like there's more ta this story than we've heard!"

Felix spun towards the sight of the ever so familiar race track as the tune from the game drifted whimsically in the distance, even hearing it so far away made him feel a little uneasy.

"I'm not sayin' we should get involved in their business, but maybe it wouldn't hurt just ta look over tha kids a bit."

"Look over 'em?" the Marine asked curiously "Ya mean like, baby-sit 'em?"

"Weeell…sorta? I mean- Think about it, Tammy." The man said, looking up at his wife "Aside from tha lil candy NPCs goin' 'bout here….those kids don't have anyone else."

There was just something to the way Felix had said those words that made the Marine's steel heart bend. As she looked upon the vast land, it began to hit her that while Vanellope may have had the love and adoration of the arcade….

There was no one else.

No siblings, no other friends and most of all, NO PARENTS.

She remembered the stories of how King Candy used to dote on them, perhaps a bit too much given what his guidance had led them to, but without them what did they have?

Once more, a sinking feeling hit Calhoun in her middle but it was also joined by a sense of will, a sense of duty.

"Hmm, ya do have a good point." the woman said, her husband seeing the bright glow of determination in her eyes "We can go ta 'em tonight an'-!"

"Well…." Mumbled Felix.

"Actually…." Said Ralph.

Calhoun looked down, Felix's brows creasing in worry.

One thing that the woman had learned since falling for the man was one important thing; he was a hero and as a hero, he was ALWAYS busy.

"Got things planned?"

"Yup." The man breathed out, tugging his hat down "Gotta a lotta things ta care of with tha Nicelanders. Nory needs help in his place, then we're gonna help repair some of tha birdhouses people have been rippin' out…"

"Aw, don't tell me THEY'RE havin' problems too!"

The small man in blue nodded "If I could split myself ta be everywhere, I would. I just can't leave people out like this, ESPECIALLY after I made my promise ta Ralph ta-!"

"Guys, its fine." Calhoun smiled coolly, rubbing Felix's head playfully "I can handle a few candy kiddies. Just make sure there's dinner leftover. I've learned how much Gene can sneak off durin' one of his after-dinner 'snacks'."

The man nodded in confidence, pulling out his hammer and twirling it into a salute. "Roger that Sarge! I'll see you at ten!"

A parting kiss was given as Felix skipped off to cover his evening work, Ralph following him.

"Make sure he doesn't get into any trouble." Calhoun called to the Wrecker, now left to her own to begin her 'mission' " _Well, Tammy. Ya did wanna get used ta kids…."_

As the Sergeant made her way through the untamed wilds of Sugar Rush, she found herself amazed at the amount of land space and content that was in the cabinet itself. All sorts of interesting and bizarre candy-themed wildlife jumped out and tried to present itself to the woman but even if she were an out-of-gamer, she was prepared for the melee.

A shot here, a punch there, a kick to the face there-

These creatures may not have been Cy-Bugs, but she wasn't going to allow them to take a chomp out of her.

"Well-!" the woman firmly stated to herself, batting off sticky leaves and dodging the many Honey-Dew Plants that littered the jungle floor. "At least the Programmers had an IDEA of what they wanted to do with this game! Maybe we should send a recon team out to-"

" _ **LEAVE US ALONE!"**_

" _GEE-!"_

Such a shout caught the Marine off guard, the woman clamping her hands over her mouth and praying to every programmer that no one had heard her high-pitched shout. She froze, turning around in all direction to find the source of the voice but while her ears had heard something, her eyes did not SEE.

She began to press on further and soon the voices began to grow louder, the clear cries of a child easy to point out….

As well as a snake with a slippery tone.

The Marine ducked down between the leaves, the darkness of the shade combined with her clothing providing the perfect cover.

"And? Why ssssshould we?" the dark reptile hissed in frustration, "Ya sssshould know that you're not welcome around here!"

Calhoun squinted her eyes, trying to get a better view of the confrontation as well as the beings before her. A few of them looked out of place in Sugar Rush, their colors too dark, their designs much harder and sharper but three of them were of definite Sugar Rush origins.

There were three of them, and while they appeared the same at a distance their colors gave them all a distinct look, as did the manner in which they were standing against the 'visitors'. There were just so many kids for Calhoun to remember that their names escaped her.

"Minty, hold on!"

" _Minty!_ " Calhoun whispered to herself, snapping her fingers a moment before remembering she was trying to be 'incognito'.

The one called Minty, a sturdy looking girl decked in green and yellow, immediately pushed the other two racers behind her, forming her protective barrier as she and the snake glared at each other.

"Back off, Snake- _ **GREASE**_." Minty growled between locked teeth. "Whaddya mean we're not welcome here? This is _**OUR**_ home! If anythin' _**YOU'RE**_ tha ones who are goin' too far in tha game!"

The rat of the group couldn't help but give a gentle 'hmmph' as he approached from the side, looking so calm and collected but a good crack of his knuckles proved that he wasn't above getting his little hands dirty.

"Oh, we can take care of ourselves. I've gone through tougher terrain in my SLEEP." the rat said, his eyes going right for Minty "We're just makin' sure that _**CERTAIN**_ bytes don't stray too far to the castle. We wouldn't want the President being DISTURBED."

It didn't take a genius to decipher that the threat being described at the moment were the three racers, the out-of-gamers moving closer to assert their control over not only them but oddly enough the area around the castle. The little teal racer shivered, grabbing a hold of Minty's arm tightly, wanting nothing to do with the impending fight.

"U-Uh, Minty?" the child whispered, invoking a head tilt from the older sibling. "M-Maybe we s- should go. I-It is LATE and-!"

"We'll go once I teach these guys a lesson in how things go in tha game!" Minty growled but she felt a tug on her arm, the culprit being the yellow racer, her eyes wide in fright.

"Minty, don't!" the girl cried, trying her best to move Minty back, a feat not unlike trying to move a semi stuck in the mud "Stix is right! Let's just get outta here before we-!"

"Cause more trouble! Cause more trouble!"

Snake and his rat comrade looked on, a few other members of their gang singing the teasing jeers towards the trio of girls. They circle and flew around the racers, locking them in place as the sounds continued to swirl around them.

"Hey, we're not tha ones bein' creepy outside tha palace at night!" Minty growled, swiping her hands around in an attempt to hit one of the flying characters.

"W-We were just tryin' to walk home anyway!" cried the girl in yellow, her hands pressing down on her skirt, feeling great discomfort in the way the smaller characters were speeding around her.

Calhoun watched, awaiting for the third to say anything but she looked the most terrified, her body hunched over as she covered her ears, whimpering loudly.

The spiraling and mocking continued, the girls trying all they could to defend themselves but in the mess of things they wound up becoming dizzy and just as the leader had planned-

BOOM!

"AUGHR!"

"EEK!"

"Yikes!"

They all tumbled, tripping over each other and rolling apart from one another, the very thing the snaky leader wanted to see.

He sneered, approaching the youngest racer as if she were a mouse ready to be crushed in his coils. The teal racer's head settled but as she looked up all she could see was his shadow, her skin going cold, her massive bow drooping.

"Ya know, ya could have at leasssst entertained me by putting up a fight…." the snake yawned, something shiny glittering in the corner of his eyes. "But issss thissss sssssomething to expect from recolors? All lookssss, no action?"

The snake's talk was good and well but had he known he was being watched from afar?

Calhoun remained hidden between the foliage but it was only on a wing and a pixel that she had restrained herself from leaping out in a fit of fury. She knew she had had her doubts about the racers before but even she knew where the line had to be drawn.

" _That's it! No more Miss-!"_

 _*Snnk snnk!*_

The Space Marine tried to move forward but something pulled her back. She turned around, seeing that the gum-bushes were indeed what their name implied they were and at the moment her clothing had been ensnared by the gooey, sticky sap. No matter how much strength she applied to free herself, the bushes seemed to pull back with even more.

Suffice to say, the Marine was not going anywhere at the moment.

" _Darn it! Why does everythin' in this stupid game have ta be LITERAL!?"_

Calhoun may have been stuck but her view was clear, her eyes going back to the fight continuing before her.

"Don't ya put a hand on 'em!" Minty called out as she motioned towards the other racers "I swear ta Gobs if ya do-!"

"You'll what?!" the rat growled as he stomped before Minty but the moment she saw that he was even smaller than her-?

"Ya wanna be a cotton-candy coated rat?" the girl smirked down at the character "Keep pushin' it buddy, I'll punch ya right up ta tha clouds!"

"Oh, yeah?!" the rat said, puffing out his chest.

"Yeah!" Minty responded, puffing him back.

"YEAH?!"

"YEAAAAAH!"

As Minty and the rat continued their 'competition', the yellow racer quickly took a hold of the one in teal.

" _Sticky?"_

" _Y-Yeah, Tori?"_ the smaller girl gulped.

Tori said nothing as she got to her feet, her hands still gripped tightly upon the arms of the other racer.

" _ **RUN!"**_

The others looked up in shock "Run?"

And RUN was exactly what they did. Before the snaky leader could wrap his mind around what was happening, the trio of girls split, each one going off in their own direction. Before parting ways, Minty made certain to give the rat henchman a good BOP on the head, her legs jetting off.

"OOF!" the rodent NPC cried, rubbing his head "Did-!? Did she actually do that?!"

"Rrrrgh, don't let them get away that eassssily!" growled the snake, trying to make up his own mind on who to follow "Go-! Um-! Follow-!"

The creature felt as if he were going cross-eyed, the similar images of the girls confusing him.

"I don't care which one ya get! We can't let 'em off that eassssy!"

The group took off, all unaware that there was a certain Marine only breathing distance away.

"RAAAAUGH!" Calhoun roared as she finally RIPPED her way out of the bush, globs of gum and leaves stuck to her now-red and tender arms "Ow, ow, OOOOOW. That was WORSE than rippin' off a band-aid!"

A sharp scream hit the woman's ears and she quickly remembered her mission but she was hit with the same conundrum as the 'visitors' of the game.

"I got three racers, which one do I follow?!"

"Minty! Torvald! _**HEEEEEEEEEELP!**_ "

The one called Sticky let out a cry, Calhoun seeing that her pursuers were quickly catching up with her. Some distance away, Minty heard the cries of her so-called recolor, the girl throwing worry for her own safety to the wind.

"Hold on, sis! I got ya!"

Sisters? The three were actually SISTERS?

As fast as she tried to run, Sticky's little feet were just not fast enough to evade her hunters, the girl spilling out tears in fear as she could feel those behind her inching closer and closer.

"Get her!"

She cried out again, making the mistake of turning around and seeing the snake's terrifying grin leering down at her. With her mind distracted, she did not see the lump of chocolate rock before and with on slip-

"AAAH!"

She tripped and tumbled to the ground, allowing for the others to surround her but even with the pain of the trip still going through her body the little candy racer's mind went to something else.

"N-No!" she stammered, quickly covering her right ear, eyes and hand darting about the ground "Wh-where is it?! Where is-?!"

A heavy tail SLAMMED next to Sticky's tiny hand, the girl shrieking as she fell back while the item of her desire rolled near the collection of scales.

"Looking for sssssomething?"

The teal racer was far too scared to say anything, the snake lapping up her reddened face and petrified eyes. He then turned his focus on the item next to his tail, snickering as he reached down and picked it up.

"What an interessssting devi-ssssse." He hissed in a playful manner before turning his attention back to the girl below him "Issss it important?"

Sticky was as still as a stale piece of taffy, her little body refusing to me. The snaky creature was once more pleased by the sight, fully aware that the racer was helpless in his hold.

" _ **I SAID-!"**_

"Give that back!"

The serpentine leader looked up, his followers mirroring his moves. Before them stood Minty, Torvald huddling behind her.

"Ya heard me! Give that back ta Stix! It's hers!"

The rat NPC stood on his toes, trying to get a better view and upon seeing the tiny device in the claws of the snake….

" _Is…is that a hearing aid?"_

" _ **ISSSSS THE LITTLE RECOLOR HARD OF HEARING?!"**_ the snake shouted, knowing very well that despite the removal of the item Sticky could hear him, especially with the reactions she was giving him " _ **I'M SSSSSSSSSSSSORRY, RECOLOR! I DIDN'T KNOW YOUR EARSSSSSSS WERE BROKEN!"**_

"Hey, that's enough!" shouted Minty as she marched towards the group, not at all afraid of the reptilian rough-houses.

" _ **HEY, GUYSSSSSSSS! I GUESSSS WITHOUT THISSSSSSS! WE CAN SSSSSSAY WHATEVER WE WANT TO HER!"**_ the snake said, a few of his followers cackling along with him.

A few….as the rat had stepped further into the back, the look on his face showing that he had lost whatever will he had for the chase.

"U-Uh, Snake-Oil?"

" _ **YA SURE SHE CAN'T HEAR US?!"**_ said another hench-character, laughing hard at the downed girl _**"YA CERTAIN THA RECOLOR CAN'T HEAR?!"**_

" _ **SHE CAN HEAR!"**_ Minty roared, going red in the face "She can hear but she needs-!"

" _ **LIL WUSSY RECOLOR!"**_ cried one of the characters at the top of their lungs.

" _ **COPY-COPY! DROOL AN' FLOOPY!"**_

" _ **JUNK-PIXELS!"**_

" _ **COPY-PASTE! SUCH A WASTE!"**_

Calhoun had once again hidden herself, watching the reactions of everyone in the fight. As the creatures surrounded the racers, the girls tried their best to once again help each other, Minty standing as the main source of strength between the three and Sticky?

Sticky remained huddled on the ground, her hands pressed hard to the side of her head. The Marine knew the girl could hear the words, hear the teasing calls thrown at her but Sticky remained silent.

And as she remained silent, she wished that she indeed could not hear.

" _ **DEAFHEAD!"**_ Snake-Oil laughed harder than ever " _ **DEAFHEAD, DEAFHEAD! LIL CANDY DEAF-!"**_

 _ **BOOM!**_

Snake-Oil cried out again as he felt a great WALLOP fly across his face.

"Snake?" cried the rat as he watched his leader fall on the ground "Snake?! SNAAAKE!"

"Oooourgh, ya green gorilla!" the angry reptile hissed but Minty stood strong before him, arms crossed and looking as tall as a mountain.

"Whoops, guess my hands slipped."

Snake-Oil rose on his scales, letting out a threatening hiss towards the girl but she showed not a sign of fear, not a bead of sweat on her face.

"Ya lil nobody! When I get my handssssss on you-!"

"You're gonna hafta catch me first!" Minty said with a wink, darting off and leaving Snake-Oil both angry AND confused.

"I-! What-?!"

"Um, I think she's gone."

Snake-Oil growled, putting his face in his hands "I _**KNOW**_ that! Get her!"

With their orders given the fleet took off after Minty, leaving Torvald to care for her sister.

"Y-Ya okay, Stix?" the yellow racer panted, Sticky still looking very shaken from the events that had taken place "C-C'mon, say something!"

"I-I'm okay…." The little racer said, her voice as small as a mouse's "I'm okay."

Tori looked over her sister, making certain that she wasn't bruised and battered and aside from a few holes torn in her tights and a few spots of dirt on her face, she was fine.

"W-We should get you home." The yellow racer said, her voice shaking "And then we can-!"

"No, g-go get Minty."

"Huh?"

"Y-You know what Mintz can do when we leave her alone…." Sticky said, fingers nervously going through her hair "She's gonna plow over a few trees with that guy going after her."

"But what about you?!" Torvald said in an astonished voice "You still need-"

"I can take care'a it, Tori." The teal racer smiled, her sister sensing the lie that even Pinocchio would be ashamed of "Just catch Minty. I don't want anything to happen to her."

Torvald knew she was making a mistake, she knew it would have been better for her to stay there and care for her sister but Sticky had said her piece. The yellow racer gave a weak nod as she began to walk off, her eyes still on her sister as she disappeared down the path.

Now alone, Sticky stood with shaking knees in the little area. Even if the attackers had long since disappeared, she was still scared, shaken to the very core of her pixels.

And to her side, there was her hearing-aid.

 _*KRISH, KRISH!*_

"AH-!"

Sticky let out another cry as the leaves rustled beside her, certain that another member of Snake's gang had hidden and was waiting for the ripe moment to pounce but to her shock…

A large woman came through the leaves, eyes clear, stance tall….

But there was something still wrong with the way she was looking at the child.

Calhoun looked down at the racer, her mind finally seeing just how SMALL she was compared to her. Sticky had to look up at the Marine in such a way that her head nearly touched the back of the ground, her eyes wide and frightened.

The two said not a word between each other, either one unaware of just how much FEAR they were both going through. Sticky was certain that Calhoun had only shown up to attack her, to go after her just as Snake and his ilk had and Calhoun?

After everything she had just witnessed, after everything she had been privy to, she found that she could not make out the words. She was angry, she was scared, she was ASTOUNDED at what the characters had done, how they had treated the inhabitants in their own game.

And she could not believe how they had treated the girl.

The Marine looked down, noticing the small hearing aid next to her boots. She bent down and retrieved it, holding out her large hands towards the child.

"Here."

Sticky remained in place, her body shaking and her eyes starting to glisten over.

"It…it doesn't look broken." The Marine said, not feeling too well with conversing towards the racer "I-I mean if it is? Um, maybe I can take it to my husband?"

Again, there were no words from Sticky.

"Ya know? Fix-it-Felix Jr.? From tha game, Fix-it-Felix Jr.?" Calhoun blinked, becoming more and more embarrassed "One of Vanellope's friends?"

At the very mention of 'FRIENDS' Sticky gave a jump, inching away from the Marine.

"Hey, hey! Don't go kid! Ya still need this!"

"N-No."

"What?"

"NO!" Sticky shouted, tears finally spilling out of her eye as she clutched her hands against her chest "Don't tell Vanellope! I'm sorry!"

"Sorry?! For WHAT?!"

"I didn't do anything! I'm not being mean!" the girl sobbed, refusing to get any closer to the woman "I-! I-I know we're not good! I know I shouldn't have been around here and I'm sorry! I won't bother you guys or Vanellope or-!"

"Wait, WAIT!" shouted the Marine, clutching Sticky by her wrist as gentle as she could but to her surprise, the little racer fought back "Stop! I'm not gonna do anythin' ta ya! I just wanna-!"

"I won't be mean to Vanellope again!" Sticky cried, trying to pull her hand away from Calhoun "I promise so don't hurt me!"

Now Calhoun was truly surprised, realizing that the girl wasn't reacting just on the heels of how Snake-Oil had treated her. She was honestly TERRIFIED of her, convinced that she wanted to cause harm to her.

"Kid, stop!" Calhoun shouted "I just wanted ta give ya this!"

Knowing that she wasn't going to calm down, Calhoun took Sticky's hand and placed the hearing aid in her palm. She let go, the racer stumbling back and falling on her rump with a cry of pain.

"Are ya o-?!"

Calhoun could only hear sniffles, Sticky looking up at her with eyes that showed emptiness. Without another word, the little racer got back on her feet and took off, leaving the Marine by herself in the candy kingdom.

The usual warm and sweet air of Sugar Rush turned cold, the air going stale and bitter. As she stood all she could remember were her words back at the castle, what she had told her husband about the going-ons in the game.

She was certain that there were no problems, she was certain that if there were any issues that the racers had brought them upon themselves. But what she had witnessed rewrote everything, what she had witnessed sent a massive punch right to her gut.

It wasn't just that she had seen the girls attacked in such a vicious and malicious manner. What hurt her the most….

" _She's scared of me."_

But Calhoun was a MARINE! She was used to people cow-towing to her orders.

" _She thought I was gonna hurt her."_

But Calhoun was TOUGH! She could beat anyone.

Perhaps, maybe she could but in those moments she wanted to HELP Sticky, not hurt her but as the child rejected her the realization of it all came crashing down upon the woman, hurting her in the worst way.

Sticky saw her as a threat, one that she could not fight against. Sticky saw her as just another bully, putting the Marine in the same category she had made strives to rid the arcade of.

In her eyes, Sticky had seen Calhoun as the worst thing one could be at Litwak's; a REAL bad guy.


	6. Chapter Five- Rev Up and Roll

Chapter 5: Rev Up and Roll

If one thing had stuck with Calhoun from her short time in Litwak's thus far, it would have to have been the previous night with Sticky. Even though she had helped to retrieve the girl's hearing-aid undamaged, the fear Sticky had shown her, the way she tried to pull away, as if she were certain Calhoun would pummel her right then and there.

Sticky had seen Calhoun as nothing more than a bad guy, a REAL BAD GUY.

The way the racer had moved, the tone in which she had spoken and the manner of how she talked of Vanellope proved that she wasn't worried about disappointing her sisters. The racer's true fear lay in being ratted out to and throttled by Vanellope or anyone associated with her.

One of those associates being none other than the Space Marine herself.

For the rest of that night Calhoun lay awake in terrified wonder, trying to figure out how she of all people had failed at the job she strived to make improvements in. It was clear she needed to get the proof spread to the rest of the arcade but as she lay in bed another thought came to her head.

Did Vanellope know?

She had to have known what was going on, being the President of the land and everything but if that were the case, why was she allowing such things to continue? The Marine could feel her heart racing in her chest the more she thought, the more she pondered. There was no way in the code void that Vanellope was WILLINGLY allowing such things to happen, that the girl would turn a blind eye to how her fellow game-mates were being treated.

Calhoun thought she knew the vanilla racer, she thought she would be above revenge bullying but as the minuets ticked away in the night the Marine could only wonder just how well she knew the girl.

Perhaps there were things she was hiding, but why? Why would she hide things from people she swore she trusted and called her friends?

The next day usual play-through of the games came and went, the adults once more making the journey to Sugar Rush for the random roster race but there were plenty of words exchanged between the three before they even stepped foot upon the trolley.

"Look, Sarge, I don't mean to rain on your parade." Ralph spoke up "I'm not sayin' ya wrong or anythin' but are ya certain tha kid reacted ta ya because of Nelly? I mean…that…that makes no sense!"

On one hand, Ralph would have understood Sticky's initial fear of the Marine, given Calhoun's USUAL demeanor, but the moment he heard the woman's theory that VANELLOPE was connected to the reaction the man knew he had to speak up. There was just something to the Sergeant's claims that rubbed him the wrong way, his newly found fatherly instincts kicking in at the very idea that Vanellope could possibly be behind something bad.

"It makes when ya put in all tha factors." Calhoun nodded, giving Ralph a hard look "Not tryin' ta down tha kid but what other reason could there be?"

"LOTS." Ralph grunted, stopping in front of the woman and looking down on her, making certain that his height was felt "What's ta say those kids weren't startin' somethin' themselves an' that guy was actually tryin' ta help Vanellope?"

Calhoun looked FLABBERGHASTED at the Wrecker, anger coming upon her face as she reached up and grabbed him by his collar.

"I KNOW what I saw, Wreck-It." She growled menacingly, Ralph looking as if he were starting to regret crossing the Marine "An' 'HELP' doesn't come in tha form of chasin' someone down an' callin' 'em a 'useless recolor'."

Those words had not been said during the conversations, something striking Ralph in his chest. Calhoun's intuition may have been going somewhere but in his hearts of hearts Ralph would not accept that Vanellope would lead a charge, not after what she had experienced herself for so long.

"W-Well."

Calhoun said nothing, her eyes narrowing in anger towards the man. She was not going to let him win in this battle and Ralph knew it but he was just as stubborn, just as willing to have his side heard.

"Maybe things did get outta hand." Ralph said as calmly as he could "But I know Vanellope. She would never let somethin' like that happen! I know she wouldn't!"

"Then how would ya explain what I saw?"

"I dunno!" Ralph groaned, rubbing the bridge of his nose "I just dunno, okay?!"

"Tamera! Ralph!" Felix responded sharply, stepping between the two and giving them stern looks "Excuse my potty mouth you two, but all this arguin' isn't doin' BOO ta help anyone!"

The two larger characters looked down, gearing themselves up for the talking-to Felix was about to give them. Felix may have been smaller than both Marine and Wrecker but he still held the most power between both of them, his arms crossed against his chest and his foot tapping upon the ground.

"Tammy."

"Yeah, Slim?"

"I really do admire tha help ya gave ta that kid an' it was unfortunate how she reacted ta ya, but that alone does not mean we can storm tha game, guns blazin'. We don't have all tha info yet!"

The Marine felt her cheeks flush with red, a breath escaping her.

"Gotcha, hun."

"An' Ralph?"

The big man winced; he was not going to like this.

"As I said before, it's not fair to those kids ta assume tha worst 'bout 'em an' ta even IMPLY they DESERVE ta be mistreated. Everyone deserves a second chance, an' that chance needs ta be given FAIRILY!"

"Y-Yeah." Ralph nodded, swallowing back a massive lump of crow.

"An' as much as I don't even wanna THINK about another calamity happenin' in this game, if there is somethin' amiss we do hafta address it." Felix said, losing track of himself the more worked up he became "It's not just somethin' a HERO would do. Anyone with a heart SHOULD step in an' take action if there are others bein' pushed around! No one, no matter their status or powers, should be-!"

" **HONEY.** " the Sarge groaned, not even looking back to give her usual authority on the situation "We get it. Ya just wanna help."

Felix blushed; he had gone over his head again, hadn't he?

" _I just can't help it…._ " He meeped, kicking the ground.

The three boarded the train, the usual excitement of seeing another race not as strong as it had been before.

"I know what I saw." Calhoun continued "I know what I saw an' I DON'T want it ta happen again."

"Yeah, I guess I understand." Ralph moaned, the trolley arriving at its destination. He smiled, looking down at Felix "But I guess if we're gonna look after tiny lil somethin'-somethin's, we're tha ones for it, eh Felix?"

"Guidin' tha Nicelanders isn't tha same as watchin' kids, brother" Felix remarked "Tha guys have their troubles an' they do require help an' protection but they're ADULTS. They can handle certain things on their own that these kids CAN'T."

It was hitting hard once more just how out of the loop Ralph was with certain folks, the Wrecker taking note in his friend's words, it not still feeling rather silly for his remarks.

"I just don't want another King Candy situation." The big man groaned, lumbering behind the other and feeling every bit of happiness drained from him "An' I mean that for EVERYONE."

Felix and Calhoun exchanged looks, the two joining the Wrecker and walking alongside him, the journey to the track feeling rather long this time around.

"We get ya, big guy." Felix said, his tone soft in hopes it would lighten the mood "We do."

Finally arriving at the track the three made their way to their front row seats but Calhoun kept her eyes peeled, monitoring the entire area for anything that was out of line, anything that was out of step. The crowd was of course roaring and excited, cheering loudly for the President of the game but to the Marine, their calls did not register. She looked towards the line-up on the track, seeing the kids readying themselves for yet another race.

" _WHOO!"_ the woman caught herself shouting, ducking low in the crowd.

"Tammy?" Felix asked curiously.

Calhoun knew she stuck out like a sore thumb amongst the crowd but she had to keep herself hidden as right in the middle of the track was Sticky, the Marine wondering if the young girl had seen her yet and if she did, how would she react.

"Tammy, c'mon." the Repairman said as he stood his wife up and sat her down "We can watch but don't hide yourself like that!"

At the moment, that was all Calhoun wanted to do.

It didn't take long for the race to begin, the crowd watching with a fever-pitch as the candy competitors zoomed along the track, each one doing their special moves but as the wheels whirled and the sugar dust was kicked up the list was thinning out.

"Man, I never thought races could be THIS excitin'!" Felix said to himself, far more into the race than either his wife or friend.

As the Roster race was heating up into its final lap, competition between all the racers were getting stiff once more, the lot cut down to four. Engines roared as the karts rushed for first place, Taffyta taking up second mark while Vanellope found herself once again in the lead position.

The competition between the pair was tight as the others lagged behind, and soon it was turning into a game of cat and mouse. The confrontation from the previous day had still left quiet the mark on both Taffyta and Candlehead, the duo doing their best to close in on the trophy and prove their worth to the out-siders who were watching.

As things began heading toward the latter half of Frosty Rally, the crowd's chants seemed to be becoming louder and louder, many of the members of the audience getting to their feet and holding their arms over their heads.

Ralph, Felix, and Calhoun once more felt out of place in the setting, the cheering masses standing over them and covering them to a point where it felt as if the light were being shielded from them.

"G-Guess I'm not tha only one excited." Felix laughed skittishly, some of the cheers turning into outright cries of anger.

Calhoun began to scan the area again, taking notice that the in-game NPCs were of course doing their jobs and cheering for their designated racer but they seemed far more held-back, some of them looking SCARED compared to the visitors of the game.

The usual suspects were there, all cheering in support of Vanellope with their own tools from outside of the game; megaphones, horns, anything that could make the most noise and drown out the cheers from the candy NPCs. The closer Vanellope got to the finish-line, the louder they became, near to the point where even if an entire fleet of candy karts roared by even their engines wouldn't have been heared.

"GAH! I don't think I make this much noise when I WRECK!" Ralph shouted, covering his ears.

" _ **WHAT!?"**_ Felix asked, his own hands over his ears _**"SPEAK UP, RALPH! I CAN'T HEAR YA!"**_

Even if Vanellope was in the lead, even if the crowd was making as much noise as physically possible, it wasn't enough for them. There was still competition on the vanilla-racer's tail and it was making certain folks not at all happy.

" _ **DON'T LET THAT CAKE-HEADED DOPE, GET YA!"**_ shouted one supporter.

" _ **THE PEANUTBUTTER FLUFF IS GONNA GET HIS!"**_ shouted another.

Among the shouting, the three adults could hear those words as clear as day.

" _ **C'MON MUTTONSLUDGE! SLIP OF THAT MOUATIN SIDE!"**_ yelled another member of the cheering section as they noticed a familiar strawberry-themed racer veering closer towards the back of Vanellope's vehicle _**"RAM HER! SEND HER CRASHING DOWN INTO THE DIRT!"**_

While Ralph and the others were getting an earful from the crowd, the racers on the track had their own thoughts going through their heads, all unaware of the words being aimed towards them. Just as the group landed off into the final stretch, Taffyta and Vanellope began crossed paths, the racers ramming each other with their karts. Taffyta scowled through her goggles but was not about to give up things here. She was far too angry, far too heated to give up.

But Vanellope wasn't going to give up as well. She could tell that the strawberry girl was far from racing on friendly terms and if she wanted to come out of the race unscathed she'd have to FIGHT. She could have glitched but something within her told her to save it, told her to refrain from using the usually move as Taffyta could counter it.

She didn't know HOW but she had a feeling that the girl would pull something out of her sleeve, if only to shove her down again.

"Where is that special move of yours, PRESIDENT?" Taffyta growled as she arrived next to the other racer, Vanellope seeing the venom in her eyes "I'd figure you'd use it by now since ya don't have any skills elsewhere, Von CHEATS."

Vanellope growled, her blood boiling as the name 'Von Cheats' was thrown at her. Her hands wobbled on her steering wheel but she couldn't let Taffyta distract her, not when the finish-line was so close. She faked a coy smile, her throat aching from the anger she held back.

"What can I say, Muttonflub? I'm just tryin' ta provide a good sh-!"

" _ **SWEET SEEKERS!"**_ the race announcer erupted in momentous uproar as Taffyta turned on a hair, her kart hitting the power-up before Vanellope could even see it appear.

"HEY!"

" _Yeeees!"_ Taffyta cheered to herself, her kart whirling and transforming as the power-up was activated "Sorry, Von Cheats. Gotta run!"

Back at the stands, Taffyta's candy fans cheered in joy as they knew an ace was about to be played, the tiny candies whistling and clapping as their racer had taken the lead.

On the other side of the track, Felix gave a nod.

"Well, at least they're havin' fun." The man said, feeling some of the tension starting to wear down "So maybe there isn't-!"

" _ **SHUT UP!"**_

Before Felix and the others knew what was going on, the man caught the sight of what appeared to be a large soda cup being FLUNG from higher up on the bleachers. The filled cup SAILED all the way across the stand and nailed one of Taffyta's NPCs in the head, a few candies beside the hapless NPC crying in shock as one of their own fell over.

"HEY!" Felix gasped as he stood up "What was that-?!"

Not a word had gotten out as more and more objects were being tossed with great strength over towards Taffyta's candies, the tiny NPCs screaming and darting about as they tried to escape the onslaught of raining garbage.

"Lil turds!" cried someone from above " _ **JUST LIKE THAT WORTHLESS RACER OF YOURS!"**_

" _ **WHY DON'T YA BUZZ OFF!? NO ONE WANTS TO HEAR FROM YOU!"**_

A mix of shouts and laughter rang through the bleachers as not only Taffyt's NPCs were coated in trash but so were the other racers'. Anyone who was unfortunate to be around as met with a deluge of half-eaten sweets and other not-so-good things to have thrown upon one's body.

"Whoa, whoa, WHOOOOOA! STOP!" Ralph finally shouted, standing up and showing himself in the crowd and for a moment it seemed that things were working.

The moment Ralph made himself visible a few of the members stopped their throwing, the Wrecker looking up at them in anger.

"What in tha arcade are ya doin'?! This is Sugar Rush, not a demolition derby!"

Ralph had to stop, realizing what he had said.

"Well-! Not EXACTLY but what's tha idea of tossin' junk about guys?"

There was an awkward moment of silent had between a few members of the crowd, Ralph and the others eyeing them. Some of the crowd knew what trouble they were in but for others?

"Look, they're neck and neck!"

A distraction had been thrown and all eyes went back to the jumbo-tron, Vanellope and Taffyta on the final lap of the race with the strawberry racer still armed with her Seeker.

Vanellope veered out of the way, dust clouds appearing on the horizon as the camera started to follow Vanellope in her victory sprint. She knew she only had a small chance as Taffyta had not wasted her shot and any second she could spring up with a trap, costing her the win.

"Darn it, Taffyta! Just get it over with!"

Vanellope was glicthing here and there, trying her best to throw Taffyta off and take the lead but one quick glance back and she saw it; Taffyta had her in her sights and she was not letting go. The vanilla racer's skin began to crawl and she pressed herself harder upon her steering wheel, as if that would push her any closer to escape.

Both full of anger and determination to prove her worth, Taffyta took deep breaths, trying her best to picture and follow Vanellope's moves to predict where her glitch would send her and just as the two were edge and edge towards the finish line, Taffyta pressed the launch button on her control pad.

 _ **KA-BOOM!**_

Out from the cannon in front of the kart came a barrage of Sweet Tarts, the hard candies tearing into the back of Vanellope's kart! The girl screamed as she was hit, losing her pacing and glitching BACKWARDS, losing her placement towards the goal.

"Oh, WOW!" Felix shouted, his eyes wide "She actually got her!"

"Guess Muttonfudge's got a shaper eye than I thought." Calhoun said, finding herself a little impressed at the shot even if it was against Vanellope.

Ralph on the other hand was on the edge of his toes in worry as he could see that Taffyta was showing no mercy.

"Oh, coconuts! OH, COCONUTS!"

"Ralph, settle down." Felix said, trying to reassure his friend "Vanellope's been through this a thousand times! She can handle-!"

"Yeah, she can handle Muttonflub!" cried another spectator, nearly causing Felix to topple over.

"Uh, I was GONNA say that-!"

"Don't let Muttonflub win!" the spectator shouted, starting a chant _**"DON'T LET MUTTONFLUB WIN! DON'T LET MUTTONFLUB WIN! DON'T LET MUTTON FLUB WIN!"**_

 _ **DON'T LET MUTTONFLUB WIN! DON'T LET MUTTONFLUB WIN! DON'T LET MUTTONFLUB WIN!**_

It was amazing how quickly things were getting out of hand, the three adults standing in complete awe as the crowd had turned so quickly, their angered chant carrying throughout the entire game.

 _ **DON'T LET MUTTONFLUB WIN! DON'T LET MUTTONFLUB WIN! DON'T LET MUTTONFLUB WIN!**_

As the racers rounded the mark, the finish line in clear sight, they could hear the crowds' mantra.

"Huh?" Vanellope asked "What tha ho-hos is THAT?"

 _ **DON'T LET MUTTONFLUB WIN! DON'T LET MUTTONFLUB WIN! DON'T LET MUTTONFLUB WIN!**_

No matter how loudly her engine roared, Taffyta could hear the rallying cries as clear as if she were in the crowd herself. All she could think, all she could hear were their words chanting against her ears.

 _ **DON'T LET MUTTONFLUB WIN! DON'T LET MUTTONFLUB WIN! DON'T LET MUTTONFLUB WIN!**_

"N-no!" the girl cried, her mind losing focus on the race she was so close to winning "S-Stop calling me MUTTONFLUB!"

 _ **DON'T LET MUTTONFLUB WIN! DON'T LET MUTTONFLUB WIN! DON'T LET MUTTONFLUB WIN!**_

 _ **DON'T LET MUTTONFLUB WIN! DON'T LET MUTTONFLUB WIN! DON'T LET MUTTONFLUB WIN!**_

 _ **DON'T LET MUTTONFLUB WIN! DON'T LET MUTTONFLUB WIN! DON'T LET MUTTONFLUB WIN!**_

" _ **RRRRGH! SHUT UP!"**_ the girl cried as she made a punch for the control button again but as she wasn't aiming for Vanellope, she instead sent her Seekers towards a nearby pillar, the thing toppling over near a section of the crowd.

"Whoa, look out!" Calhoun cried as she took a few smaller characters into her arms and leapt out of the way before a single pixel was hurt. As the dust settled, the Marine could see just how close she and a few others came to getting a near game-over.

"Phew!" Felix breathed out in relief, wiping his brow "Slick moves as usual, Honey! We could'a-!"

"She almost hit us!" cried someone.

"She was tryin' ta rub us out!" said another.

"Wait, hold on!" Ralph shouted as he tried to maintain the upset crowd "Who did what to WHO now?!"

The buzz of an engine once more took attention of the characters, all eyes watching as Vanellope managed to escape the destruction and cross the finish line.

 _ **Vanellope Von Schweetz Wins!**_

Perhaps Ralph and the others should have been thankful for the win as the moment Vanellope was crowned first place the crowd regained their happiness, a large cheer filling the area.

Meanwhile Taffyta had snapped back to her right mind, quickly taking ahold of the steering wheel before she careened right into a gate.

"WHOA!"

She narrowly missed the gate and got back into position, her kart hitting the line for second. She could only sigh but she was thankfully that an accident had been avoided.

"Well, that was worse than bitter licorice…."

As she shortly followed across the line, she observed the outsiders quickly breaking the number one rule of not running onto the tracks as they surrounded the President only to eagerly shower her with praise, and to no one's surprise-

" _ **VANELLOPE VON SSSSCHWEETZ TAKES THE PRIZZZE AGAIN!"**_

Snake-Oil was there.

Taffyta glowered at the creature, making certain that it did not notice her as she slowly pulled up into her place. A few short moments later Candlehead and the others arrived, the cake-headed girl bounding out of her kart towards her friend.

"Taffyta, what-?"

The pink racer held out a hand, shushing the girl.

" _Don't make a move…."_

Back with the crowd, Snake-Oil slithered up to Vanellope with an almighty cackle, so much overbearing attention coming from him.

"That wasss amazing, Presssident!" The creature beamed in delight, if only to rile the girl up "Ccertainly more skillful and elegant than _**MUTTONSLUDGE**_ back there! Ssshe couldn't even fight back over your glitch if ssshe wanted to!"

There was a feeling of uncertainty in the girl as she was still finding it somewhat odd how Snake-Oil was treating her but as she made a glance over towards the other racers she could see the cold steely gaze from Taffyta, the girl quickly reminded that neither she or 'Muttonsludge' were on speaking terms.

"Y-Yeah! I guess you're right!" Vanellope smiled, but it wasn't as strong as she made it out to be for those around her. Even if the girl still felt a little odd in the mix, hearing such words from Snake and the others felt much better than the treatment she had gotten from the other racers.

At least her new friends seemed impressed by what she could do.

Not too far away Calhoun observed the bunch, not at all taken by Snake-Oil's greasy 'charm'. She knew what she had seen and she knew the game that Snake was playing on the girl.

" _Really think this is gonna cover up what ya did ta those kids last night, buddy?"_

Vanellope took in the dotting she was receiving, feeling a might better about her win.

"Aaaah, thanks guys! That's real sweet of ya." Vanellope responded as she walked about with the golden trophy in her hand "But I wudda been on tha roster even if I hadn't nailed this baby! No matter tha place, Vanellope Von Schweetz is always gonna race!"

"No place BUT first place is for you!" peeped an excited Firefly character, her tail end blinking in excitement "I thought my light was gonna pop out when I saw Taffyta get ya with that Seeker! She had you on sight!"

"Eh, sometimes I get hit." Vanellope said, not wanting to bring the other racers into the conversation "An' I hafta hand it ta her…it was a close shot."

Vanellope looked down at the ground, her hands clutching tightly onto her trophy. She had remembered the way Taffyta had struck, just how close and how PRECISE she was.

Maybe she was getting too used to using her glitch, especially given just how easily Taffyta was able to TIME it.

" _Too close…"_

"Don't let Muttonssssludge or those other CAVITIESSSSS worry you." Snake-Oil hissed, his clawed hand resting upon Vanellope's shoulder "If they try to cheat again, we'll take care-!"

"You'll take care of WHAT?!"

Snake stopped, looking over to the side to see one Taffyta Muttonfudge standing before him, well poised with eyes cutting into him. She flipped her hair daintily with her hand, the gesture making the creature's scales shiver in anger.

"Don't tell me you're gonna say we CHEATED again." Taffyta snorted "I would have thought that your brain was strong enough to REMEMBER EVERYONE can use Sweet Seekers-"

The Snake only responded with a slight 'hmph' as he circled around the back of the racer, wrapping his tail around the girl's ankles but she dodges, Taffyta not wanting a single scale to touch her.

"I guessss sssssomone is ssssore they didn't come in firsssst placcce…" Snake cackled but Taffyta had other things on her mind to worry about aside from who came first.

"If there's anyone who's gonna be sore, it'll be your SSSSSORRY SSSSCALESSSSS!" Taffyta mocked, making certain to scrunch up her face to bother the snake even further.

"Ya think that'sssss funny, BRAT?!"

The adults kept their eyes on the situation, ducking behind a bleachers as the fight started to heat up.

" _What's she doin'?"_ Felix asked nervously, not too keen on the small racer taking on the snake by herself. Ralph frowned, feeling as if his early observations on the girl was right.

" _Playin' by her old rules, what do ya think?"_ he growled " _I knew that kid was just bad! She's goin' after-!"_

Ralph was cut off as he watched Calhoun march towards the scene, the two men looking in surprise.

"Calhoun?"

Once again the center of the track was playing one side to the other, Vanellope and her crowd on one while Taffyta and the racers were on the other but to anyone who had wandered onto the scene they could easily see that the racers were clearly outnumbered.

" _ **HOLD IT BACK!"**_

Everyone looked at Calhoun, the Marine standing between the two with a scowl on her face.

"Okay, everyone. We already had an event with tha crash, don't add to it!"

"Oooh, right!" Snake sneered, his focus returning to the girl as he wrapped her coils around her "It WASSS Muttonflub who nearly crusssshed usssss, right?"

The Marine gave Snake-Oil a sharp SLAP on the back of his shoulder, his coils loosening.

"'EY! Did ANYONE give ya tha okay ta wrap yourself around someone like that?" the woman growled, giving the creature a hard stare "Sides, we wouldn't wanna go PUSHIN' kids 'round. Who knows what could happen should someone else HEAR about it."

The words may have meant nothing to the others in the crowd but as Calhoun saw Snake-Oil's eyes widening in fear, she knew she had gotten him.

BULLSEYE.

Taffyta continued to kick and struggle in the snake's hold, the creature wincing as he felt her fingers digging into his tail. He took one more look at the Marine, heart racing once he realized that she was aware of the exchange he and some of his other cohorts had participated in with the Mint sisters.

He gave Taffyta one finally look before callously tossing her back with the other racers.

"Alright, maybe tha clumssssy kid doesssssn't need a bop for that. Everyone makessss missstakesssss."

Laying on her bottom, Taffyta knew Snake's words were as useful as a gum scraped from the bottom of her boots but the creature continued to play with her, the tip of his tail bopping her hard on her head.

"Sssilly lil Muttonflub." Snake-Oil snickered "It'ssss not our fault ssssshe can't handle the road assss good assss Vanellope."

"Hey!" Candlehead jumped in, slapping Snake's tail back towards him and giving him an angered pout "Ya leave her alone, Snake-Breath!"

Taffyta looked SURPRISED, but that was always the reaction as no one was used to seeing the cake-headed girl so angry.

"C-butt, don't get into this." Taffyta said, jumping back onto her feet "These FUDGE-HEADS aren't worth it to ya."

However, Candlehead was taking none of it, the girl pushing back her hat and trying her best to look as imposing as she could.

"Foo! I'm not gonna let ya face these guys alone!" Candlehead puffed, stomping her little feet closer to Snake and the others "They wanna mess with ya, then CANDLEHEAD is gonna bring it!"

The gang of outsiders could only laugh and point at the children, Vanellope not feeling too comfortable in the situation as she watched Candlehead continue her attempts to play tough.

"Sssso now tha brain-dead cupcake wantssss in on the action huh?" Snake-Oil teased between his slimy fangs. He could see that the girl was weakening but she kept to her place. After all, she had been hassled by the group before and she too was tired of letting them take advantage of the situation.

Calhoun reached down and took Snake by his arm, her tight grip something that even the toughest gorilla could not wrestle himself from.

"Look pal, tha races are over. Give it a break already!"

"But Ssssssarge!" the snake protested, glaring at the woman "Need I remind ya, thesssse rotten lil bitessss are the onesssss who held Vanellope back?!"

A few of the racers flinched at the words, remembering the bullying they had taken part in during Turbo's reign.

"Yeah?" Calhoun said, giving Snake's arm a final HARD squeeze before letting him go, the man rubbing it meekly "So what? That was like a century an' a half ago so why bring it up when everyone is on tha same program now?"

"Becaussssse…."

Ralph and Felix arrived closely behind the Marine, either men certain of what they could add in fear of making the situation worse.

"Maybe you don't get it, Sssssarge…." The snake hissed, his arm still hurting "But we're jusssst trying to give Vanellope tha bessssst experience sssssince she missssed out on sssssso much."

"An' that would be a noble gesture from ya." The Marine said "IF that didn't include BULLYIN-!"

"Bullying?" Snake-Oil, the man letting out a chuckle "Bullying? Do you think thisssss isssss bullying?"

"Indeed, it is."

The crowd parted as Felix made his way through, the little man looking not at all happy at the exchange that was going up. It came to a shock of those witnessing the events that the man stopped in the middle of the other racers, arms out as he brought them over.

"Over here, kids. It's fine."

"What are ya doin', Fix-it?" asked Snake's ratty partner, the character standing on his tip-toes to see.

Felix wasn't going to allow Snake to over-power him, the man standing firm before the other kids with an angered frown.

"Now, I'm not one ta go about pointin' fingers before I get tha full story…." The Repairman said, his tone filled with determination "But you, sir? This has to stop."

"Stop WHAT?"

"Don't try ta slither around it!" Felix quipped, giving a shake of the head "Tha way ya were carryin' about in tha crowds. Tha way you've bombarded everyone. You're takin' things way too far here, Mister an' tha last thing I'm gonna have is you messin' with these kids for some unfounded reason!"

Snake-Oil growled, already feeling more of his stance slipping at the mercy of the arcade hero.

"But they're BULLIES!"

Felix shook his head again "You're makin' unfounded accusations. Even if you're talkin' 'bout what they did before that still does not excuse tha behavior ya displayed durin' an' after tha race! If ya wanted ta say something ta Taffyta, ya cudda done so without throwin' her around like a ragdoll!"

Ralph and Calhoun could see that Felix was being serious in this words, the racers feeling the same. Taffyta had to look up, surprised that Felix was speaking FOR them for a change rather than rushing to Vanellope's side.

Even Vanellope was surprised, making her wonder if even she had looked upon the situation in the wrong light.

"I hear ya've been spreadin' that they've been cheatin'." Felix continued "That's a pretty HEAVY thing ta say without proof of tha matter, isn't it? I mean, maybe I am just outta tha loop when it comes ta racin' games, but last time I checked gettin' a Seeker was somethin' EVERYONE could do an' falls along tha rules, right?"

Snake growled, feeling sick to his stomach as Felix laid this his good-guy act. The reptilian character knew there was no way he could get Felix to turn given how things had slipped through his hands but he was not going to give up so easily.

He would give the hero in blue THIS turn but Snake-Oil wasn't going to fall out of place just yet.

"Perhapsssss I did jump the gun, Fix-It. But I am jusssssst trying to be an upssstanding ccccitizen!"

"Try UPSTART." Calhoun growled, placing a heavy foot upon the ground.

"Jusssst hear me out." Snake said in defense, putting his hands up towards his chest "Can you blame me for being a little cautiousssss? I have good reasssssonssss to be!"

"Did ya guys have a good reason ta throw trash at Taffyta's candies?" Calhoun said, the aforementioned racer's eyes bulging out.

"Wait, what did they do?!"

"Yessss, that wasssss taking thingssssss too far." Snake said, his voice calm "And they apologizzze for that. It all dependsssss on whether Missssss Muttonflub-"

Snake was fully aware of what he had said, pretending to be astonished as he covered his mouth.

"Oopsss. I mean…Misssss MUTTONFUDGE forgivesssss usssss."

Calhoun looked down at the little racer, noticing the frown still plastered on her face as well as how nervous she was as she backed away from the larger character. If the Marine were in her shoes, her actions would have been the same, save for a quick punch to the jaw.

"Come on, Muttonfudge." Snake smiled, his teeth gleaming in a way in which Taffyta knew held no trust "Forgive and forget?"

Taffyta looked back at Snake and the crowd, seeing Vanellope huddled in the middle of them. Seeing those images alone signaled to the strawberry racer that even if she were to take the snake's hand nothing would change. She moved back towards the others, her hands pulled towards her.

"N-Nothin' doin, Snakey!"

"Aw, c'mon Taffyta!" Vanellope said as she glitched through the crowd, stopping right before the girl "Snake doesn't mean any harm ta ya!"

"Doesn't mean any harm to us?!" the pink girl protested "Ever since you let him an' his circus in here it's been nothing but trouble for the rest of us!"

"What proof do ya have?!" Vanellope growled at the girl.

"Plenty!" said Taffyta as she motioned a hand back towards the others "Tell her guys! Tell her what they've been doin' to us!"

Taffyta awaited for replies….but there was silence between the kids. Even Calhoun was stunned by what she saw, watching Sticky try to tip-toe out of the crowd when of all people she had the MOST to say when it came to Snake's actions.

" _Is she really THAT scared?"_

"Guys, c'mon!" Taffyta shouted "They called us cheaters, recolors, USELESS! You know that's not true because-!"

"Because you LIED!" Snake-Oil hissed, giving Taffyta a hard shoved on her back and knocking her to the ground "Little nuisssssance! I wasssss willing to forgive ya but then you had to act like a brat again!"

"I-I'm not a brat!" Taffyta cried out, her voice cracking under her anger, feeling she could no longer hold herself up compared to the crowd "St-stop calling me a BRAT, Snake-Face!"

"Issss thissss becausssse you know none of you will NEVER be asssss good asss Vanellope?" Snake-Oil cackled, a few others joining in with them "That win of herssss wasssss pure sssskill while the resssst of you? The resssst of you are floundering behind like-!"

"THAT'S ENOUGH, YA BIG MEANIE!" cried a small, stern voice broke from the crowd once more, Candlehead stepping up to the plate again, the flame above her hat shooting up in a vicious ball of flame, making a few of the others jump back in fear of being burned alive.

Even Snake was surprised by what he saw, feeling the heat of the flames against his skin.

"Why don't ya just leave us alone?!" The girl spoke up, moving past Felix to look the snaky foe in the eyes "If-! If there is anyone bein' a big bully here, it's YOU! You're-! You're a Bully Snake! A big fat meanie BULLY SNAKE!"

"Miss Candlehead!" Felix gasped as he took the girl in his hold and pulled her back "I get that you're upset but there's no need ta go about sayin' such awful things!"

Snake gave a glance to the side, a little nod of his head signaling his followers to retreat back into the darkness while he covered things up front.

"Didn't I tell you, Fix-It?" Snake said with a sneaky smile "They're jusssst going to keep at thisssss."

Felix felt his temples throbbing, reaching up and rubbing the side of his head.

"Everyone, LOOK. I wanna help in this but if we're gonna get anythin' done, you're all gonna hafta COPPERATE! Can't ya do that just for a moment?!"

"I ain't goin' anywhere unlesss the Pressident says so, Fix-it. After all, thisssss issss HER game. Sssshe can make the final choice."

"But that doesn't mean I'm gonna allow ya ta push people around! People who LIVE here!"

"They may live here…." Snake hissed "But doessss that really mean anything? Jusssst because thossssse bratssss ugly mugsssss are drawn on the ssssside of tha cabinet doesssssn't mean anything. Any sssshmoe can get their facesssss on tha front of a game."

Vanellope remained behind the snake, her little mind at war on what to do. True, she was still upset at the others, Taffyta especially, but the way Snake-Oil worded and aimed every bit of venom he saved for the others? It made her feel so out of control over the very game she was meant to rule.

After all, Snake and his gang had showered Vanellope with the type of cheering she had never gotten from anyone in the arcade before and he had stood up for her on occasion but why did the girl feel so bad? Why was she feeling so terrible and who was she supposed to stand behind?

Snake-Oil and his group, or Taffyta and the racers?

Even Ralph didn't know what to do but as the bitter exchange continued he saw how frustrated Felix was becoming in his attempts to stand up for the racers and why not? No one else was doing it yet there he was, fully aware that it was him alone and no one else trying to back up a group of characters that nearly everyone else had tossed aside.

" _Sh-should I do somethin'?"_ Ralph asked himself as the argument between Snake and Felix continued " _I know what I told Felix, but this is-!"_

"Felix, stand down."

Calhoun's voice broke through the argument, all eyes going to the Marine.

"But Tammy-!"

"There's no need ta waste your energy on this, Slim." The woman said as she returned her glance towards Snake "If our 'friend' here is smart enough, he'll take into consideration the PUNISHMENT that could happen if he gets caught throttlin' kids around."

Calhoun made certain to remind Snake that she had caught him in the act but she was waiting to make her move, his word being against her own without the right evidence. Snake hissed deeply, slithering back as he once again raised his hands up.

"Fine, ya got me." He scoffed "But I really hope you give everyone elsssssse thissss type of 'obssservation' because who knowssss what could happen."

The Marine's eyes narrowed "What are ya getting on about, Snake?"

"Jusssst that while I can make my own choicesssss, whatever anyone elsssse doessss issss their own." The man growled, turning slightly "You can't blame me for whatever happenssssss here."

"Snake-Oil." Felix breathed in deeply, standing firm. "Look, just-. Just be careful okay? I didn't wanna get so hard with ANYONE today but after what happened, I-!"

 ***VROOM! VROOM! VROOOOOOOOOOOOM!***

The sound of roaring engines was quick to distract the entire crowd, those both standing and sitting turning to face the direction of the noises!

"Holy COOCNUTS!" shouted Ralph, patting his chest from the shock "What in tha arcade is-?!"

" _ **MY KART!**_ "

Everyone looked in shocked to see two unknown characters leaping into and hotwiring, Taffyta's kart, the bright pink vehicle roaring into life as many outside to the game cheered.

"Wait! STOP!" Taffyta shouted as she rushed towards the group but before her tiny fingers could even touch upon the smooth surface of Pink Lightening, the car-jackers took off, speeding away in a cloud of pink glittering dust, cackling all the way.

"Oh my GOBS!" Candlehead gasped, watching with wide eyes as her friend's kart was stolen.

"Snake, what did ya do?!" Calhoun roared, the man jumping away.

"What _**I**_ did?!" the creature responded "I wassss right here with you! I did not do a thing!"

"No! NO!" Taffyta wailed, watching as her beloved vehicle was driven away without care, many candy NPCs running away before they were struck.

There was much calamity going on, characters running about in a fevered panic, someone running out of the game to avoid conviction. Looking over towards the other racers Vanellope rushed over to Taffyta, dropping the trophy along the way.

"Taff, WAIT!" the girl cried, trying to reach out for her fellow game-mate in an attempt to calm her down "Ya can't get them on foot! You'll hafta-!"

Taffyta turned, and the look she threw upon Vanellope was enough to cause the girl to glitch in shock. She had never seen someone look so hateful towards her.

" _T-Taffyta?"_

"Miss Muttonfudge?"

Felix came from behind, putting his hands on the girl's shoulders, unaware of the exchange that happened.

"Don't worry, lil lady!" the man in blue said heroically "We'll get those baddies who stole your kart an' have it back ta ya in once piece before-!"

"Save it."

Felix looked down, Taffyta stepping out of his hold.

"Excuse me?"

The girl looked at Felix, her expression telling to what little faith she held for the man but along with her anger he could see the hurt in her eyes. If anyone had seen it, they could tell she was close to tears but she fought it back, giving the hero the same sour scowl she had given to Vanellope.

She knew that whatever happened, it didn't matter. So long as Vanellope was in charge of things, this was to be the norm. She gave the vanilla racer one more look, the very sight of her inciting so much rage from within.

 _ ***BEEP BEEEP!***_

Felix and Vanellope looked over, Candlehead waving towards Taffyta.

"C'mon!" the girl cried out "Maybe we can catch up with 'em!"

"Miss Muttonfudge, don't!" Felix insisted as he tried to take her arm once more "There are too many of those guys for ya ta take! It would be much safer if I handled this or else-!"

"Don't ya have a President to protect?" Taffyta growled, a tear finally rolling down her cheek "Wouldn't want her to get upset by us _**BULLIES,**_ would ya?"

Taffyta's words hit Felix heavily, the man stepping back as the pink racer made her way towards Candlehead's kart, taking a hold of the side bar and holding on as the two tore off for who knew where.


	7. Chapter Six- Luminosity

Chapter 6: Luminosity

The roads of Sugar Rush were filled with the noises of two vehicles rampaging at ferocious speed, partaking in a daring chase of cat and mouse, the mouse in this case being Taffyta's precious pilfered Pink Lightening.

The out-of-gamers cheered and jeered as they tore through the game at top speeds, taking no concerns for the candy citizens that got in their way. Worry was so low towards the tiny NPCs that every now and then junk would be thrown from the vehicle, the hapless candies serving as nothing more than targets for the kart-nappers strapped inside.

"Can't this heap'a junk go any faster?!" the driver barked, doing his best to control the swerving kart in the little space he had available. Upon second thought, controlling the hunk of candy on wheels was proving a little harder than he had anticipated but he kept his guns going as best he could, if only to retain the glee of knowing WHOM he stole the kart from.

"Who cares?" the second figure spoke up, the purple-haired feline propping her feet up on the dash, far too content in the fun she was having making waste to Sugar Rush "We just gotta get this teeth-rotter to the point and- _**MEOOOOORW!**_ "

"What?! What is it, Felia?!"

The kitty mewed sharply, adjusting the side mirrors to see a rising dust cloud appearing from the horizon. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end and her whiskers twitched in fear, the correct reaction given who was coming up behind them.

The dust cloud that was approaching at accelerating speed was in no doubt Taffyta Muttonfudge but it was who was behind the wheel that had Felia snarling in disgust.

Candlehead!

The Ice Scream's engine ROARED with the might of a lion, the wheels burning road as the little racer behind the wheel kept her eyes on the target before her, the candle atop her head glowing brighter than any sun.

"Idiots in mirrors….." Felia hissed, her claws coming out "Are closer than they appear."

"Aww crud, it's Muttonflub and Canker-head!" the driver roared, going back and forth between looking at the road and the racers that were coming up fast behind him "Urgh, I didn't think tha flame-head would catch up so fast!"

Felia smacked her partner on the back of the head "Just keep your eyes on the road! We can shake 'em!"

Only a few tire's length away in the Ice Screamer, Candlehead's code was reaching its MELTING POINT! She knew that the out-of-gamers could be, as she quoted, 'meanie beanie heads' but to steal another kart was UNHEARD OF and she was determined to make this the last time it was attempted, especially as the particular kart belonged to her best friend.

She squeezed the material on her steering wheel, eyes looking like a dragon eager to set fire to its prey.

"They think they're fast, huh? Let's turn up tha _**HEAT!"**_

The Ice Screamer was now just mere inches from Pink Lightening, both vehicles ready to go toe-to-toe in a battle of supremacy and Candlehead wasn't going to give up her place. She knew the risk facing her given that she wanted to RESCUE the kart as much as she wanted to chase it down but dire times called for dire actions. Taffyta hung onto the side of the kart as best as she could, the cinnamon dust blowing into her nose and causing her entire head to tingle, her heart pump faster.

"C-Butt?!"

"Okay!" the candle-headed girl breathed out "Ya gonna have to trust me here, Taff! I gots some Molasses-Madness seekers in tha trunk an- _ **WOOOOOAH!**_ "

The two racers screeched in terror as Pink Lightening veered out of control in front of them, the driver doing his hardest to take the racers out of the picture, or at least out of the sights. Felia began grabbing anything she could in the kart, lobbing them at the racers behind them but given that she had used up much of the arsenal she was coming up empty on ammo.

"Gimmie somethin' I can hurl at 'em!" she called to her companion.

"I don't have jack!"

"Ya want me ta throw YOU instead?!"

"C'mon, I'm tha one DRIVIN'!"

Candlehead kept her hold on the road as best she could, remembering that there was an unbuckled passenger handing on for dear life close to her.

"Hang on, Taffyta!"

"S-Sure!" the white-haired girl meeped, clutching harder onto the kart for dear life.

"Kay, I know this may seem crazy-!"

"As if this isn't?!"

"Imma need ya ta go inta tha trunk, an' get those Molasses seekers! Ya hear me?!"

It was going to be a task given that the girl wasn't exactly STILL at the moment but Taffyta knew the plan. From the corner of her eye Candlehead looked back as she saw Taffyta rip open the trunk flap, the strawberry racer looking in only to find a massive collection of seekers, the girl surprised that Candlehead wasn't driving a time-bomb.

"Candlehead?"

"I always store 'em for emergencies!" the other girl said "Now lemme have 'em!"

The shiny candy orbs glowed with beauty, and deadliness, as Taffyta shuffled through them, taking the needed Seekers and shoving them into the power-slots of the kart. The Ice Scream chimed and glowed with power as the Seekers activated, the girl letting out a rather unCandlehead-like cackle. Taffyta knew what was coming, her hands gripping harder onto the kart.

" _Ya wanna see what Candlehead can do?"_

Two cannons appeared on the side of the kart, the barrels heating up as the pink passenger smelled the strong scent of boiling sugar inside of them.

" _ **HERE'S WHAT CANDLEHEAD CAN DO!"**_

The girl JAMMED her fingers on the launch button, two massive gobs of molasses shooting from the cannon and right near the side of Pink Lightening, the two kart jackers crying out in terror. Taffyta's hat nearly flipped off her lid, her eyes wide in shock.

" _ **HOLY HO-HOS!"**_

"Is that kid CRAZY?!" called the male driver, panting as he could smell the burning sugar ON him, the heat seeping through his jacket and onto his skin "Ow, OOOW! What is this stuff?!"

"Whatever it is, I don't want it on me!" cried Felia, left to fear what would happen should the brown GUNK get caught in her fur.

"Sizzlin' cinnamon sticks, C-Butt!"

"Just consider that a warnin!" the mint-chip racer growled "I don't wanna hit your kart, Taffy! Just get those meanie-bo-feanies ta bail!"

It was always something to see Candlehead go from a complete fairy-floss head to such a hardened racer. In the time that had passed since the game had reset and the 'fans' had made their way in, Taffyta had completely forgotten just how SERIOUSLY her friend took her races.

And it was something she had to admit to herself that she loved.

If there was one person she knew she could count on for such an incident, Candlehead was the best and as she continued to shoot Taffyta realized she was in the best hands she could possibly want.

"Turn left, TURN LEFT!" Candlehead roared out, shooting more and more molasses bombs at the two "Less ya wanna end up coated! Tha choice is up ta ya, Smarties!"

Another blast went off, landing DANGEROUSLY close to the two. Felia yowled again as tiny droplets of molten sugar finally sprinkled against her skin, the painful prickle of the heat causing her to duck in the cab of the kart.

"Those kids are no joke!" she panted "Why didn't Snake tell us?!"

"Because Snake's never had ta do this much dirty work!" the driver growled "Where's that freakin' turn?!"

"Here! Right here!" Felia cried out, praying to all the programmers she could think of that Candlehead wouldn't shoot again.

Unfortunately for her….

 _ **KER-SPLAT!**_

" _ **NYWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"**_ she cried, sticky molasses ending up in her hair _**"MAKE THA TURN! MAKE THA TURN! THEY'RE GETTIN' TOO CLOSE!"**_

Candlehead kept up with the two, even as the road was getting rougher and the area darker.

"Where are they goin'?"

The road became bumpy and cragged as more foliage appeared before the two and much to their dismay, Pink Lightening became lost in the darkness of the candy wilderness.

"They lowered the lights!" Taffyta cursed to herself, the massive coverage of the woods causing everything around them to echo, only making the journey harder.

"Taff!"

"Y-Yeah?"

"I-I may hafta hit Pink full on!" said Candlehead, worry creasing on her face "It might be tha only thing I can do ta get it in this mess!"

The strawberry girl bit her lip, fearing the damage the kart would receive from the power molasses coating should it be hit dead-on but to return her beloved vehicle to her some chances had to be taken. She concentrated on the voices of the two kart-jackers as best she could, hearing them scream and shout every second about running into something and the more she thought, maybe a few bits of melted candy would be easier to deal with than the two going head-long into a tree with the thing.

Taffyta nodded in acceptance of the plan, as there was not much she could do.

"Just make it quick."

Candlehead felt the same feeling of bitterness as her friend, her eyes going to the launch button.

"Gotta time this right…."

With another press, Candlehead shoot out two more hot gobs of molasses at the kart and with a lucky shot she managed to NAIL it in the bumper, sending the two thieves crying out as the kart buckled forward.

"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAURGH!"

"Got 'em!"

"I think there's a path we can take!" called the male driver "Tha next shot might be a HEAD one!"

"Then stop yackin' an' take it!" shouted Felia as she stood up "I'll take care of those brats!"

Much to the surprise of the races, the feline character stood up in her seat, claws aimed towards the two.

"What does she think she's-?!"

The cat hissed, claws out but she then swiped them through the air, LARGE lines of energy flying towards the girls!

"Oh no-!" gasped Taffyta "Candlehead, turn! TURN!"

The candle-headed girl let out a cry as she hit the steering-wheel to a hard left, the Ice Scream CAREENING out of the way just as the claw waves flew where the two had once been, going through a massive candy cane tree and slicing it with ease. Taffyta screamed as she held onto the kart, Candlehead trying her best to regain control.

"Hang on, Taffyta! HANG ON!"

There was a loud THUD as Candlehead crashed into a gumdrop, Taffyta thrown from the kart but landing in a billow of mint leaves. She could hear the air-bag going off, Candlehead grunting.

"C-Butt!"

The fading sounds of Pink Lightening were all that was left as the two lay dazed and exhausted in the thick woods but Candlehead pushed the bag back, throwing off her seat-belt and giving chase.

"Let's go Taffyta!"

The girls rushed through the dense forest, following the tire tracks to a clearing and as they pushed the leaves away.

"No….WAY!"

There before them lay the Sugar Rush Trash Heap, the massive area filled with the chocking smell of burnt sugar as the titanic-sized furnace billowed out black smoke and spewed burning orange embers of overbaked cookies and overcooked sugar.

Candlehead sank to her knees, shivering in fright. There were a few places she had vowed never to step foot in and on the top of her list was the Trash Heap, the place always having a sinister feeling about it.

Taffyta on the other hand was far too FURIOUS to even considering being scared, especially when a familiar figure came into view.

 _"Snake-Oil!"_

The one and only.

Felia and her partner finally rolled into the dump with Pink Lightening, Snake standing by impatiently.

" _Can ya hear 'em?"_ Candlehead asked. Taffyta gave a shake of her head no, crawling down to get a closer look. Candlehead whined, not wanting to go near the area NOR the snake but she couldn't leave her friend behind!

The things she would do for Taffyta.

The two girls snuck their way down the path, ducking behind candies and leaves to keep their trail cold. Soon they were close enough to hear the mumblings and hissing of the out-of-gamers, Taffyta concerned on what they were planning on doing at all in the area.

"Took ya long enough." Snake growled, not at all moved by how roughed up and battered Felia and her friend looked.

"Baston did the best he could with tha drivin…" Felia said "But those two schnooks nearly NAPALMED us!"

"You're telling me that you almosssst got caught by thossssse lossssers?" Snake grunted, rolling his eyes "After all that bragging you two did."

"Look, we got ya tha kart." Growled Baston "What do ya want with it?"

Snake reached over for a large crowbar, patting it gently in his hands as he smiled at the pink vehicle, his poisonous smirk reflecting on its surface.

"Well, if Muttonflub likessssss to play, maybe ssssshe'll enjoy a puzzle or two or three, or MORE!"

Taffyta's body nearly went as white as her hair, her eyes bugging out.

They were going to dismantle Pink Lightening!

"Oh, this is gonna be fun." Purred Felia, reaching for a large axe "I wanna see tha lil cavity cryin' her eyes out once she finds a tire on her doorstop!"

"An' a fender at tha track!" laughed Baston, the trio ready to lay waste to the kart.

Taffyta didn't have a plan, her mind telling her to jump right in and wallop all three but she was greatly outnumbered in both size and strength; what could she do?

" _No, no, no, NO!"_ she whispered to herself, ducking down and digging her hands into her head _"NO NO NO NO NO! WH-?! WHAT DO I DO!? WHAT DO I-?!"_

Candlehead too was beside herself in sickening terror as she watched the gang of thugs ready themselves to destroy the kart but at the last moment-

A spark from her flame.

Time felt like it had slowed down as Taffyta saw Snake-Oil raise his crowbar higher, higher, higher-!

But Candlehead had other plans.

The girl jumped up, the older characters completely unaware of her presence as she threw off her jacket and OUT FLEW a swarm of seekers, the orbs flying up into the air as they blinked and glowed!

 _ **RAMPAGING RUNTS!**_

 _ **CHERRY BOMBS!**_

Snake and his two underlings stopped, the sudden voice taking them by surprise.

"Hold on, wh-?!"

 _ **KA-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!**_

Before any move could be made, the Cherry Bombs EXPLODED, the stinging, fruity-smelling smoke choking the area and coating everyone in a thick layer of cherry dust. Snake hacked, trying to clear his throat of the substance but everywhere he turned he ran into more.

"W-Who'ssss there?! I-! *COUGH!* SS-SS-SSSTOP IT! ST-TOP I-!"

Suddenly the air was filled with quick chittering and chattering, everyone looking down as a swarm of sentient RUNTS ran their ways, swarming over the three like fire ants.

"Aurgh! AUUURGH!" cried Felia as she desperately tried to brush the creatures off of her but the more she fought, the more they swarmed over her _**"GET THEM OFF! GET THEM OFF!"**_

"Urgh! I HATE banana runts!" shouted Baston "They're the worst!"

The runts continued to jitter, scratch, and bite the three, leaving them with no choice but to run for their lives rather than risk the chances of being eaten alive!

"But what about the kart!?" screamed Baston, the banana runts clawing at his face.

"L-Leave it!" shouted Snake, nearly falling over and rolling on the ground to rid himself of the dastardly sugar demons "Jussst-! OW!"

The trio ran from the junk yard, screaming all the way and with their presence gone, Taffyta and Candlehead slowly tip-toed from their cover.

"Whoa…." Taffyta blinked, in complete awe "Candles…"

"You'd do tha same for me…" the little racer panted, wiping her brow "Now….is your kart okay?"

Taffyta rushed over to Pink Lightening, looking over it feverishly. It had taken quite the beating during the chase and as a result there was much damage.

"Oh nooooo…." The girl mewled sadly as she looked at her kart "The wheels are melted in the back, the fender is bent and busted."

"S-Sorry…" Candlehead meeped, returning to her usual self "I-I guess I was layin' on those bombs too hard?"

The strawberry girl sighed "No, no. It's not your fault, C-butt. You're not the one who took Lightening."

"But how are we gonna get it back?"

"Ya got some licorice in your trunk?" asked Taffyta, her friend nodding "Then maybe we can do a hitch. I know your kart is strong enough ta handle anythin' so this shouldn't be a problem."

Taffyta tried to play positive but the moment she placed her hand upon the kart, it completely feel apart, all four wheels coming off and the back breaking in shards. Candlehead cupped her hands over her mouth, wanting to scream at the sight while Taffyta could do nothing but hold in her anger. She turned red in the face, she clenched her teeth…

Then it faded.

Could things get any worse?

"Maybe I have a Sweet Heal in tha trunk?" suggested Candlehead "That can work on all of…THAT."

"Just leave it." Taffyta grumbled as she stomped passed the other girl, eyes stinging once again "As everyone said, our karts are 'automatic' unlike Miss Special Different. I can make 'another one'."

"But ya had that for so long…" said Candlehead "I mean….at least from tha last time someone did somethin' ta it."

" _ **CAN WE JUST-!?"**_

There was a rustle around the two girls, Taffyta going silent as she felt her ears perk. She looked to her left, then to her right but her eyes saw nothing. Candlehead on the other hands was still in fright, her head feverishly looking around for whatever made the noise.

 _"W-W-W-What was that?"_

Taffyta stood still, once more trying to pick up on the sound but there was nothing.

" _T-T-Taffyta?"_

" _Shhh!"_

The two stood in the middle of the junkyard, hearing the grumbling of the furnace as it cackled and belched out the thick sugar smoke.

"I guess it's nothin'…." Said Taffyta, Candlehead gulping.

"N-N-Nothin'?" the cupcake racer shivered "B-B-But-!"

"But WHAT?"

"Th-th-tha TWISTIES!" Candlehead finally chocked out, grabbing her friend by the arms "H-How could we forget about tha TWISTIES?!"

"Twisties?" Taffyta grumped "Candles, there's no reason for ya to-"

 _*clink clink*_

The girl spun around, noticing a piece of kart rolling down a pile of junk. She gulped slightly and balled her hands into fists, trying to remind herself that there was nothing of threat there.

 _*CLINK CLINK*_

A large piece of scarp fell, making both girls freeze in place upon an unstable sheet of candy, the thing tipping closer to the ground and before Candlehead could scream, she was face-first on the ground on the other side of the pile, the racket of metallic candy making a horrific screech to her ears.

"Candlehead!" Taffyta cried out, her legs launching her towards her friend "Are ya okay?!"

The racer huddled herself on the ground for a second, whimpering ever so slightly at the fall before she began to pick herself up.

"Owie… Ow ow…" she whimpered, looking at the cuts on her arms and elbow "Oooow."

This was just great; not only had Taffyta succeeded in getting her kart stolen but now because of her, Candlehead had gotten injured. It seemed as if life was trying to prove more and more that Taffyta could do nothing right.

"Let's…let's just go." The strawberry racer said in a depressed tone "At least that way, we can get ya cleaned up an'-"

 ***GRRRRRR***

Taffyta felt that sinking feeling in her stomach again.

" _Uhm…. C-butt?"_

" _Yeah Taffy?"_

" _That was your stomach, right?"_ The girl whimpered. Candlehead blanched, not requiring a second guess to know what was coming next.

 ***GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!***

The duo looked ahead, seeing yellow eyes appearing in the dark nooks and crannies of the junk pile; HUNGRY looking eyes.

"Aw, dang."

Out of the darkness lumbered many creatures, BURNT creatures with ash-black skin and cragged chunks of molten orange seeping through.

The Twisties.

It appeared that Candlehead was correct on her assertion of the creatures being around and with all the noise that had been made by both the racers and Snake's gang, the Twisties were not looking at all too happy. They were both hungry and tired and seeing as they were no longer asleep, they were now just PLENTY tired.

Candlehead shot up on her feet, eyes bulging and her body shaking.

"T-Taffyta!"

"Don't move, don't move YET!" the strawberry racer cried as she clutched onto her friend's arm, moving backwards as slowly as possible.

The Twisties inched closer to the girls, their yellow teeth dripping with thick, dirty drool as their appetite was whetted at the thought of munching on something SWEETER and FRESHER for a change.

"Why couldn't these guys come out when Snake-Grease was here?" Taffyta scowled, knowing she had to get herself and Candlehead away from the place as soon as possible.

The leader of the Twisties let out a guttural snarl, arms and claws flailing about as it readied itself for an attack.

" _Three."_

Taffyta breathed out deeply, sweat dripping from her brow as the creatures watched her from a distance, plotting their moves.

" _Two."_

Candlehead twitched ever so slightly, her feet wanting to do nothing but take her away from the awful place.

" _ **ONE!"**_

Taffyta gave a push and the two girls jetted forward, rushing through the maze of a area with the rabid Twisties howling and snarling behind them.

"An' people think DEVIL DOGS are evil?!" Candlehead panted, running as hard as she can "Those things are PUPPIES! THESE things are-!"

 _ **"BLUAAAAAAAURGH!"**_

The girl screamed as one of the Twisties leaped into the air, ready to land upon her and rip her from limb to limb.

"HAAAA!"

Taffyta moved in, giving the creature a good kick in the face and sending it back towards the others.

"Gotta admit…" the girl in pink panted, brushing her hair from her eyes "That felt kinda good."

"Runnin' away will feel better!" Candlehead shouted as she took Taffyta by the hand and rushed, the Twisties continuing their chase.

Perhaps dealing with Snake would have been the better option for the two, both girls zigging and zagging from the monster but the chase only served to make the Twisties HUNGRIER and the racers TIRED.

"I-I don't think I can keep up!" Candlehead panted, going red in the face.

"I'm not gonna let 'em get ya, Candles!" Taffyta boomed, taking the girl by her hand.

"B-But I can come back! I-!"

 _ **"SO YA WANT TO BE EATEN?!"**_ the pink girl roared _**"NO WAY!"**_

The Twisties brayed out again, Taffyta looking out to see a large pile ahead of the two. An idea came to her brain as she jumped behind the pile.

"Push, C-Butt! PUSH!"

The two girls pushed the large pile of junk forward, the tower giving a low metallic moan as it then fell upon the nasties but they were not out just yet. The racers knew their time was of the essence and it wouldn't take long for the baddies to claw their way through.

"This way!" Taffyta waved towards her friend as she led her down a narrow tunnel, both going on their hands and knees "Everyone keeps sayin' this game is nothin'. That there's nothin' dangerous here an' WE don't know anythin' about it. They can eat my shoes if they tell me that-!"

*BONK!*

"OH!"

In the midst of the crawl, the girl hit her head upon something. She stopped deadway in the path, Candlehead running into the back of her.

"Urf, Taffyta?"

"Shhh! SHH!"

The two ducked in the little passage, hearing the Twisties shuffle about above them. After a few seconds the lead creature sniffed the air and gave a furious cry, the bunch of them scampering off somewhere.

" _Candles…."_ Taffyta whispered _"I'm gonna need your light."_

Candlehead leaned forward slowly, her candle illuminating the small tunnel to reveal-

"What tha-?!"

"It can't be-!"

The two begin pushing the dirt away from the buried object, its dark purple and red coloration coming through. They were stunned into silence as they looked down at what appeared to be a box, but not just ANY box-!

"Taffyta!"

"Candlehead!"

The two exchanged looks before looking back at the object below.

"Is this-?! IS THIS A CODE BOX?!" shouted Candlehead, Taffyta pushing away more dirt. She knocked on the surface of the thing, an echoy sound coming from within it.

"I….no, it can't be! But…but it is!"

In the midst of all the junk and in the midst of trying to get Pink Lightening back the two girls had made an even bigger discovery.

An unused, inactivated code box!

Taffyta rubbed her eyes, making certain that she was not seeing things.

"This is real."

Candlehead nodded.

"This….is REAL!"

Candlehead nodded again, hitting her head on the top of the tunnel.

"What….what's this doing out here?!" the strawberry racer gasped before slamming her palm on her forehead at her own statement "I mean-! I mean, broken boxes end up here all the time to be recycled but-!"

"But…this one looks whole!" said Candlehead "This one looks fresh! This one looks-!"

"This one looks like it was taken RIGHT from the code room!"

The two looked back at the box again, the name on the object unfamiliar to them.

"Paaaas….what?" asked Candlehead "Taffyta, I can't read this."

Taffyta continued to dig through the dirt, no longer caring if her dress or gloves got messy. Candlehead joined in on the effort as well, the power of both uncovering the heavy box in no time.

"J-Just gotta get this thing outta here!" Taffyta panted as she crawled out of the tunnel with her end of the box clutched in her hands "It's too big to fit in your trunk but maybe we can hitch it on-!"

 _ **"TAFFYTA!"**_

The girl screamed as she looked forward, the Twisties laying in wait for the two.

"Aw, c'mon!"

The relentless creatures peered at the racers, taking notice of the item they held in their hands and the moment they saw what they were doing they went into a maddened fit.

"Um, I guess this belong to them?" Candlehead gulped.

"Not today, it doesn't!" growled Taffyta _**"RUN!"**_

Both girls turned towards the opposite path back towards the junk yard's entrance and the Ice Scream, a task made all the more arduous with the heavy code-box in their hands.

"Urgh, this thing weighs a ton!" Taffyta huffed "I thought code was supposed ta be light-weight!"

"I guess code is more weighty than we think!" panted Candlehead, trying to keep up with Taffyta's pace. The Twisties inched closer to the girls' trail, nipping dangerously close to their little heels.

"Taffyta, is this a good idea?! They don't seem ta wanna share this!"

"We gotta take it back, C-Butt!" cried the other girl "It could be something IMPORTANT!"

One of the Twisties jumped up towards the girls, snarling as he readied to snap Taffyta's head in its maw! 

"TAFFYTA!"

Candlehead tried to reach for the creature but in doing so she fell forward, her hat flying off and revealing yet another Sweet Seeker hidden underneath. The power-up flew through the air and struck the Twisty as it was just inches away from the strawberry racer's eyes.

CADBURY CANNON BALLS!

The Twisty was struck…and in an instant, turned into a chocolate cream stature of itself, its body landing with a thud on the ground. The girls looked at the creature for a moment or two as did its companions…

All before they swarmed over it and began devouring the sweet delight limb from limb.

After eating nothing but trash and burnt bits for years, such a chocolatey treat was too much to pass over!

" **GO! GO! GO!"** chanted Taffyta, Candlehead taking up her end of the code-box once more as they made it to Ice Screamer. Taffyta quickly tied the box onto the back of the kart with licorice rope and hopped on, Candlehead taking off, looking in her mirrors to see the Twisties still feasting upon the chocolate body of their fallen friend.

As strong as her appetite was, seeing such carnage diminished it quite a bit.

"Orph…that's why ya gotta be careful 'round power-ups…." 

"An' why we gotta be careful 'round CODE-BOXES." Taffyta replied, looking down at the trove they had taken.

The two said not a word as they steadily began to make their way back into civilization, the main Sugar Rush village coming up into view.

"C-Butt, slow down…" Taffyta said, putting a hand out "Don't….don't head towards the village! Not now!"

"Why not?" the girl asked in confusion.

"We can't let anyone see us with this." Taffyta said in a low voice, ducking down "I know we took this thing outta tha dump, but-"

"Shouldn't we be takin' this box ta Vanellope?" Candlehead asked weakly from the front of the kart, getting a better view of what was imprinted on the thing now that they were in the light, "I mean-! It's _**HER**_ game after all right? Sh-she would know what ta do with things like this, huh?"

Taffyta couldn't help but shiver at the way Candlehead had put emphasis on Sugar Rush once again being Vanellope's property and after the confrontation at the tracks again?

No, she certainly wasn't going to deliver the box to her.

"We'll go somewhere else…." Taffyta said with a scowl, Candlehead looking all the more worried.

"But-! But ya think that's such a good idea? I mean-!"

"Why interrupt her an' her 'friends'?" the girl in pink mocked, flicking her bangs out of the way "All the dealing's at the track was JUST TOO MUCH for her to handle so maybe taking THIS would stress out our precious President."

"Then…then who should we take it to? I mean, I don't know anythin' 'bout tinkerin' with stuff like this!"

Taffyta ran a finger over her lips, snapping her fingers.

"Yes!"

"Taff?"

"Make a U-Turn, C-Butt!" the strawberry racer smiled "We have visit a certain Mister S. Malarkey!"

"An ES Malarkey?" Candlehead blinked "Tha only Malarkey we know is Swizzle! Not ES!"

"Just drive…."

It was still early in the evening when the racers finally pulled up to the quaint cottage of one Swizzle Malarkey, the lights dim in his windows.

"Oh, I hope he's home." Candlehead said, biting her nails in nervousness.

"'Less someone phoned the big nerd about someone findin' a connection between here an' Tobikomi HQ, I doubt it." Chuckled Taffyta as she lifted her end of the code-box up "Help me with this, C-Butt."

The two girls inched their way to the boy's home, Taffyta kicking the door with her foot.

"Swizz!"

The two could hear music but nothing else.

" _ **YO SWIZZ!"**_

"I thought we were bein' stealthy, Taff!" Candlehead blanched.

"With Swizz, it takes a lot to get his attention."

Taffyta kicked the door again, the sound of footsteps approaching.

" _Okay, okay!"_ the voice inside said grumpily _"If this is another joke, I'm gonna-!"_

Swizz opened the door but before he could get another word out, he was TACKLED back into his house, Taffyta swinging her legs and shutting the door behind her.

"Swizzle!"

"Urgh, Taff?" the boy puffed as the wind was knocked out him "Taffyta?! What is-?!"

The toottie-frutie racer looked at the two girls, their clothes burnt and dirty, their skin scratched and bruised.

"Sweet Mary Janes! What-!? What happened to ya two?!"

"A midadventure." Taffyta said, easing with Candlehead to place the large code-box on the floor, Swizz still concerned with their well-being to even notice the large object now in his home.

"Did-!? Did that Snake guy do this to ya?!" the boy gasped.

"Sorta-kinda." Taffyta snorted "He's the reason we wound up WHERE we were but he didn't do all'a this to us!"

The boy moaned, putting a hand to his forehead "Man, Minty was right 'bout those guys roughin' us up! They did it ta Sticky so I guess it was only a matter of time before-!"

At long last Swizz took notice of the code-box on the floor, his brow arching as he pointed towards it.

"Taffyta?" 

"Yeah, Swizz?"

"What….is THAT?"

"We were hopin' ya would know!" said Candlehead as she bounded towards the boy "We found this buried in the junky-junk yard an'-!"

"Whoa, ya guys went ta tha JUNK YARD?!" the boy said, startled "Are-?! Are ya INSANE?! Ya know tha Twisties are lookin' for any chance ta nab ya if ya don't go with tha right fightin' gear!"

"Somethin' tells me that Snake n' Company didn't know that. Otherwise they may have chosen a 'SAFER' destination to jack my kart."

"So they drove out that far…." The boy said in worry "Man, if they're brave enough ta travel that far, an' with no in-game immunity-!"

"Swizz, enough about Snake! We wanna know what this is!"

The boy looked at the box, then peered back at the girls.

"Um, it's a code-box."

"We _**KNOOOOOOOW!"**_

"Shhh, SHHHH!" Swizzle rushed about the room, checking every door and window in his tiny home "Not so loud, not so loud! Ya want anyone else ta find out about this?"

"Well, NO. So-?" 

Swizz ran for his work-room, the girls hearing the sound of many-a tools being turned on and thrown about.

"Maybe if I-? No, where is my-! OUCH! That's not it!"

"Swizz?"

His name called, the racer rushed out of the other room carrying a loud of tools as well as pulling along a rather strange looking contraption on a cart.

"Huh, I've always wondered if I this would come in handy." He smiled.

"What is that thing?"

"Gals, this is my-!" Swizz prepared himself, arms out proudly "Code-Box Cracker Jacker!"

Both Taffyta and Candlehead cocked their heads to the side, seeing nothing more than an old computer entangled in several, not at all grounded, wires.

"R-Repeat that?"

"If ya want it in layman's terms, it's somethin' I whipped up ta look at code, any code! From our game ta tha next! If it's code, it can be cracked an' this baby'll do it!"

"Wow, ya sure do have a lotta free time on your hands…." Taffyta nodded, still not sure how to feel about the situation.

"Ya brought this thing over so ya APPARENTLY wanted me ta look at it, so don't bust on me!" the boy frowned as he went over to the code-box, wiping off the dirt from the surface.

"Taffyta?"

"Yeah, C-Butt?"

"Have…have ya EVER seen a code-box outta tha code room before?"

The strawberry girl thought for a moment, her mind taking in all those fifteen years spent in the arcade and as far as she could remember-

"No…no, I've never seen a single box outside of the room!"

"Then how did it get ta tha junk yard?" asked Candlehead "An' more than that, who put it there?"

"One of the guys?" shrugged Taffyta "I mean, it looks like it's been there for ages an' if Vanellope hadn't found it then-!"

"AH-HA!"

The girls yelped and jumped, Swizz' cry of excitement catching them off guard.

"Wh-what is it, Swizz?"

"Looks ta me, what we have here-! Is a character code-box!"

The girls felt like jumping up again, this time through the roof! It was enough that they had found a CODE-BOX outside of the code room but to find out that it belonged to a character? That was indeed a massive surprise!

"Wait…this thing? This code? It belongs to someone?" Taffyta said, Swizz nodded.

"Yeah, tha name is right there!" the boy said as he pointed towards the surface "It's more common ta see names put in a more formal version when they're completed but it's there. Pas_Gum. Exe!"

"Pas….gum?" Candlehead blinked.

"Sounds like an NPC." Said Taffyta, but Swizz shook his head.

'Nah-ah, tha character build is too large for an NPC. An' given what I'm seein', he's not a background creature either!"

Taffyta's eyes began to widen, her heart racing again. If the code did not belong to an NPC or a candy creature that could only mean one thing.

"Don't tell me…." She said, her voice shaking "Don't tell me it's-!"

"It's WHAT?" Candlehead said again.

"What we have here, girls…..is a code-box of a RACER."

The entire game felt as if it were hit by the pause button the moment those words left Swizz' lips.

A racer?

A racer that no one knew?

Taffyta stumbled, sitting on the couch with a *whomp*.

"No way…." She mumbled to herself "No way, no, way, NO WAY!"

"An' tell me again. Ya found this in tha junkyard?"

The two nodded towards the lollipop racer, his focus returning to the box.

"This….this is strange. Even if the game contained unfinished areas an' other things, it would all be in our memory."

"Oh, but some of us have terrible memories!" said Candlehead "Like that one time, I promised Nougetsia I would help her make a cherry scream pie but then I forgot because Rancis told me about a contest they were havin' at Burger Time an'-!"

"No, that's not what I meant!" said Swizz "Well, it's SORTA not what I meant."

"Then what are ya talkin, about Malarkey?" Taffyta asked, still trying to take everything in.

"What I mean is, our INTNERAL memory." The boy continued "Ever bit of data, finished or not, should be stored in or memories as a fail-safe in case somethin' happens with tha game-!"

"But Swizz, somethin' did happen with the game, remember?!"

Indeed; King Candy.

A terrible thought hit the trio with a massive bang; what if this had to do with Turbo? It only made sense given everything he had done to the racers and Vanellope for so long. Taffyta looked back at the code-box, only fearing who it had to have belonged to and what reasons it was dumped and never plugged into the main interface of the game.

"Oh my gobs…."

"I-is tha code broken? I mean, Turbo pulled out all of Vanellope's wires an' it made her glitch so-?"

"As far as I can see…." Swizz said as he continued his inspection "This box was never plugged in at all."

"What?"

"Why?"

"It's only ninety-five complete!"

"So….what?" said Taffyta "Does this mean that whoever inside isn't whole? Or will they glitch like Vanellope?"

"No, not at all. The character model an' basic code seems ta be complete. But I don't see tha code extension for a kart an' just a few other details. Other than that, whoever is inside would walk around like normal if they were activated."

IF.

That was a BIG if.

Taffyta looked at the code-box before her, a tingling feeling coming over her from the tips of her toes to the top of her head.

There was just something about this that she wanted to see, the curiosity of discovering who was inside.

"I feel sorry for whoever is inside." Candlehead said sadly "I mean, if they've been in there that long, I bet they're lonely!"

"Candles, it's more like bein' asleep! Or at least that's what I've heard." Swizz said, trying to reassure the girl "Tha box hasta be activated in order for someone ta hear an-!"

"Let's do it."

"What?"

Taffyta placed her hands on the surface of the box, looking at her fellow racers.

"Let's activate it!"

"Taff, are ya NUTS?!" Swizzle said, astounded "I mean, we don't even know who's in here!"

"Ya said it was a racer!" the girl shot back, hands on her hips "If anythin' that should be a GOOD thing to hear!"

"Um, how an' WHY?!"

"Well, for starters that means it won't be a monster an' it's not somethin' that Turbo made ta get us!" said the girl "An'….an' why should we leave 'em like this?"

"HMMM?"

"Doesn't it seem kinda mean ta leave a racer that's almost complete in their box like this, even after Turbo threw 'em away!"

"Taff, we don't even know if it WAS Turbo who threw him away. For all we know, there could be a reason why this was left in the junkyard! An'-!"

Taffyta tapped her foot on the ground, crossing her arms against her chest "What is it, Swizz?"

The boy faltered, looking so nervous as he wrung his hands together.

"...It's Vanellope…." The male racer finally confessed, seeing Taffyta narrow her eyes.

"Of course it is…"

"How is she gonna react to having a new racer on the block? Especially if we went in without tellin' her first! It's not gonna go well with her." Swizz sighed, wondering what the best course of action was.

"I don't care." The strawberry racer growled, taking a step forward.

"But Taffyta!"

"For months it's been Vanellope THIS an' Vanellope THAT!" the girl jeered, rolling her eyes "She's not tha only one in this stupid game an' she sure isn't our keeper!"

"But she's our PRESIDENT!" protested Candlehead.

"She MADE herself President to make herself feel all special n' different, as if being Princess wasn't enough!" the girl snorted "An' after everythin' she an' her goon squad have put us through, I think it's time WE took control of somethin'!"

"But we don't know what we're takin' control OF!" Swizz said.

"Ya said it was just a racer!"

"Y-Yeah, but we're still bringin' someone online without tellin' anyone! How are tha players gonna react!"

"They didn't react so badly when Vanellope showed up with her cheat-glitch! Why would a racer LIKE us be any different?!"

"Taffyta-!" Swizz struggled "I can't!"

"Why not?!"

"I-! I just don't wanna get inta trouble, okay?!"

"Swizz, stop bein' scared of Vanellope for ONE SECOND an' just do somethin' on your own for once!"

"I'm not scared of Vanellope!"

"If ya aren't ya wouldn't be all worried 'bout her gettin' mad at ya!"

"Taffyta, don't touch it!"

Before anyone knew what was going on, a tussle began between the three racers. Taffyta reached out for Swizzle's device in an attempt to turn it on but he moved on, blocking her hand. Soon Candlehead jumped in as well, trying to pull the two away from each other.

"Guys, STOP!" she wailed "F-fightin' like this isn't gonna help! IT'S NOT!"

"Just activate it, Malarkey!"

"No, Taffyta! NO!"

"YES!"

"NO!"

"YE-!"

Far too excited for her own good, Taffyta tried to move forward but she tripped and fell into Swizzle. Both racers tumbled to the ground but so did the boy's code-scanner, the device crashing right on-top of the code! Eyes went wide as the entire house lit up with a bright light, the flash seen and felt for miles.

Back at the candy castle Vanellope felt the ground tremor, her guest as surprised as she was.

"Hey, kid?" Ralph asked as Vanellope glitched to the window "Is somethin' tha matter?"

Vanellope could see the glowing from far into the village, the light fading. Even as the light disappeared, her worry only grew.

"Oh no, not again."

Back at Swizzle's cottage things began to settle down, the three racers rubbing their eyes from the bolt of light.

"Wait…nothin' happened?" asked Swizz, his sight clear as ever "All that….for NOTHIN'! I would have at least expected a BOOM or a POP or a WHIZZ-BANG or a 'Om my gobs! It's an alien! You were right Swizz! You were-!"

"Elo, EVERY BOD-DEE!"

Once more the kids cried out in horror, Swizz leaping into Taffyta's awaiting arms.

 _"You're a lot lighter than I expected, Swizz…."_

"Who are YA?!" gasped Candlehead, all focus turning towards the figure before them.

The figure? WHAT figure?

Much to the astonishment of the others, a boy in green stood before them, his rubber wellingtons and slicker squeaking as he posed proudly, a few sparkles and stars coming off him.

" _ **PASTILLI GUMBETTINO!"**_

Silence filled the room, the strange boy the only one smiling amongst the four. After a moment or so he looked, noticing the odd stares he was receiving.

"Aaaaah…."

The strange green boy blinked, looking at the other racers with curiosity but his eyes went alight, a smile forming on his face.

"C-Butt! Taff! SWIZZ THA WIZ!"

Taffyta dropped the boy on the ground, the action her only reflex.

" _ **AURGH!"**_

"I-! I can't believe it! We're plugged in!" the boy said all a-smiles "This-! This is so exciting! So where are we?! Manchester? Florida? Did we make it to that cool game place in Tokyo?!"

The racers remained silent as they stood before this stranger; who was he and how did he know their names?! They surly did not recognize him!

"Guys, why so silent?" the boy asked again, this time giving a smirk as he rubbed his nose "Oooh, don't tell me. Gloyd's planned somethin' for our arrival! I shudda known with him! He's always got somethin' up that sleeve of his!"

Once more, the racers said nothing as they were faced with this stranger. Finally realizing that no one was answer his questions the young boy stopped, seeing the fear coming over the other's faces.

"Hey…" he asked, tilting his head over to the side "What's gotten into ya? An'….an' where are we?"

"Wh-where are we?!" stammered Candlehead "Who-?! _**WHO ARE YOU?!**_ "


	8. Chapter Seven- Blast From The Pastilli

Chapter 7: Blast from the Pastilli

The three racers were in utter shock at what they had just witnessed. Nothing could have prepared them more for what was in the code-box, more specifically, WHO was in the box. But the silence between the four racers had quickly begun to settle in after Candlehead raised her question. Clearly she was confused, shocked, and even more so concerned over what on earth was going on.

"C'mon guys. Quit jokin' around will ya?" the unlocked boy asked, a smile on his face.

He looked about, seeing the many concoctions of candy experiments in the small room, left to wonder just what was cooking before he returned his focus on the trio before him.

"It's me! Lumi? Ya know, fishin' is the name and racin' is the game?" The boy responded as he bounded off the coffee table, making a wheel and fishing pose with his hands.

Taffyta was the most confused out of everyone; it hadn't been a whole minute since the new kid had left the box and already she had MORE questions than answers to the whole situation. However, that wasn't going to stop her pressing.

"Um, Louie?"

"Lumi!" the boy huffed again, putting his hands to his sides "C'mon, Muttonfudge! Enough with tha jokes! I wanna get ta racin'!"

"H-He knows 'bout tha races!" Candlehead cried out, shaking Swizz.

"Yaugrgh! I-I-I-I d-d-d-did say it was a racer CODE-BOX!"

To the boy, the joke was going on far too long and given how the others were pressing themselves against the wall, avoiding all contact with him, started to worry him.

"Guys?"

"How do we know you're….you're, um…who ya say ya are?!" Taffyta growled, stepping in front of her two friends, glowering at the boy "Lumi? What kinda reject candy-bar does that name come from?!"

The boy called Lumi moved back, Taffyta's presence frightening to him.

"Urgh! Not those Muttonfudge eyes! They're as bad as your mom's!"

The girl stopped, her brows lifting in surprise.

 _"M-My mom?"_

Lumi covered his head, fearing that a hand would land hard upon his skulls but once none came he slowly uncurled himself, Taffyta looking at him as if suddenly there were now TWO of him.

"Um, Taff?"

The girl snapped back, the anger returning to her.

"D-Don't try ta play with me, bucko! I don't have a mom!"

Lumi was confused that the girl would say such a thing "Ya don't-? Taffyta, what are ya-?!"

"DON'T. Say anything!" the girl said, slamming a hand on the boy's mouth, turning towards the others "Swizzle?"

"Ah-ah, you're not blamin' me for this!" the boy said, crossing his arms "WHOOOO was tha one who wanted to open him up? WHOOOO was tha one who was actin' like they would boot me across tha arcade if I said no?!"

"Look, I-! I just wanted ta see what was inside, okay?!" the girl sputtered, Lumi slowly inching away from her "I didn't think we'd get a show like this!"

" _ **THEN WHAT DID YA THINK?!"**_

Taffyta gave another look to the green boy, her eyes going up and down.

"Well…well, he…he looks like us. He TALKS like us. An' he hasn't said anything about wanting to take us to Vanellope to tattle on us…"

C-butt tilted her head in confusion, feeling something off about the newly instated racer "He don't look like one of Vanellope's meanies. He isn't a mousie or a snake or a cat or a-!"

"Vanellope?" the boy said, eyes widening "Wait a second-!"

The three paused, Taffyta feeling the most nervous as she watched the boy stroke his chin.

"She did this, didn't she?"

"What?"

"She was always tryin' ta outdo Gloyd in with her pranks but they always landed with a thud!" the boy laughed to himself "I wanna know what made Miss PWINCESS think tha whole, uh, forgettin' who I was thing when we got plugged in was funny!"

The sudden mention of Vanellope's princess status came as another surprise to the three, the fact being something that only characters programmed to the game would know. Lumi began to walk around the small cottage, looking out the window.

"Really, where is she? I wanna see her face when she sees that tha joke didn't work."

"H…how did ya know Vanellope was a princess?" Swizz asked, a brow arching. Lumi turned back to the boy, just as confused as ever.

"Um, how couldn't I know? It's like her mother reminded us EVERYDAY about how special her widdle Vanellope was." The boy cooed, flipping his wrist as he imitated a queenly figure "Oooooh, my widdle Vanewopee! Don't go near dat pier! Ya might get sand on your dress!"

Candlehead let out a giggle, the others looking at her as she laughed cutely. Lumi smiled, finding some relief in that someone was acting normal.

"Ah, did I finally get ya?"

"Um, I….I think ya may have gotten your wires cross." Taffyta said, walking up to Lumi once more "Because…we don't have a Queen either."

"Aw, I know people don't WANT a queen but how could ANYONE forget her royal buttness, Queen Milka?"

"Milk….A?" Candlehead said, scratching her head "Is that a new candy I haven't tried?"

Now the joke was going too far, Lumi looking at the others once more and hoping that soon someone would come in and surprise him with a welcome but as he looked upon his surroundings, he started to realize that something was wrong.

"Uh, Swizz?"

The lollipop boy jumped back, surprised to hear HIS name coming from the stranger once more.

"Why aren't we at your place? Where's tha garage? Where's your mom?"

"I-I-!"

"This ain't your lab!" the other boy said, walking quickly around the cottage area "This ain't your bed, this ain't your table! This-! This ain't ANYTHIN'!"

"Don't be so mean ta Swizz like that!" Candlehead puffed, her pigtails swirling in annoyance "Of course Swizz lives here! This is where he does all his tinkerin' an' messin' with!"

"No, no! No, it's not! That's not right!" the boy said, starting to look frantic "My folks! They would come ta your place ta get our fishin' stuff fixed! Miss Malarkey! She-! She would-!"

The house that he was confided in definitely didn't ring a bell of similarity to the boy at all. The color schemes of the wall paper was all miscolored and inappropriately matching to the boy's theme, the furniture didn't look like it belonged to the current occupant and the spacing of the building was too cramped.

"No… no no this ain't right!"

"Not right?" The lab rat in question pondered "Like Candlehead said, I live here as it is, I just make do with what I have an-"

"But-! Ya don't live in a… _ **BOX!**_ Ya an' your mom had that lab an' tha race track garage! You-! You'd both help us with our karts! You-!"

"Move it back, Green Boy!" said Taffyta, keeping a good distance between Candlehead and the boy. Swizz popped his head up, pointing to himself.

"Who, ME?"

"NO! HIM!"

"It's LUMI!" the boy cried out, his breathing starting to quicken "Stop actin' like ya don't remember who I am, Strawberry-Butt! This isn't funny anymore!"

"Maybe he took'a bump on tha head when he was bein' buried…" Candlehead whispered to Taffyta, the other girl nodding her head.

"See, this is why I wanted ta wait. Swizz moaned, going over to his collection of things "We have a new racer an' now we don't know what ta do with him."

As if it were not bad enough that Lumi felt he was surrounded by STRANGERS, the way Swizz had brought attention to him made the boy feel as if the brain-box were talking about a DOG.

A rabid, stray dog.

"What garage are ya talkin' about?" Taffyta asked, giving the boy another hard look "The only garage here is at the main bakery an' I sure as fudge don't remember Bearded Papa talkin' about another one!"

Would Bearded Papa recognize him as well? Lumi deflated, finding he could not say anything to either girls. Candlehead noticed the colors starting to leech from the boy, her eyes bright and curious.

"Hey…."

The one called Lumi looked up, gulping as he saw Candlehead smile.

"Cheer up."

"How can I?"

"Well, at least you're not in that crampy box anymore!" the girl tittered, seemingly unaware of how awkward the entire situation was "Doesn't it feel good ta stretch your legs out now?"

" **CANDLEHEAD."**

"I think I need ta do another scan." Swizz said dryly "I mean, ASIDE from tryin' ta figure out what ta do!"

"Oh, don't blame me for this again!" Taffyta snapped back.

"I can't hide him in tha closet! We're gonna hafta take him ta Vanellope SOME time soon!"

"Uuurgh! I know, I KNOW!" Taffyta growled, burying her face in her hat "But-! But can that wait! Like….maybe some time when it's dark. Really, really, REALLY dark?"

"Lemme just scan him again." Swizz mumbled as he reached for his code-scanner again "I just wanna check ta make sure that there isn't anythin' else in there that we haven't-!"

Lumi took one look at the home-made device…and instant his skin went cold. While Swizz continued on unaware, he had no idea that the disassembled device he was holding now looked like a very sharp, VERY PAINFUL needle gun.

And if there was one thing Lumi did not like….

He turned a bit blue in the face, only imaging the type of 'examination' that was in store for him should Swizz have his way with him.

"Aw, FISH BREATH."

Candlehead looked, seeing how faint the boy looked "Ah, are ya okay?"

"Is that a needle?" Lumi shivered, his voice hollow.

"Do ya need anythin'?" the girl asked, trying her best to be polite at the moment "Um, do ya need an emergency cupcake or somethin'? I gots plenty of 'em, Past- Pastile- Pastaro-!"

The racer stumbled a little, trying her hardest to pronounce the boy's name with every thinking fiber in her brain.

"Lumi!" she said, still smiling "I gots plenty of 'em, Lumi!"

The boy only blushed a little bit as C-butt tried to comprehend his name; while she may not have known it, it was something that had always remained true between the two, a thing that had NOT changed.

" _At least some part of ya seems ta be there…"_

"Huh?"

"Um, I said-! Lumi is just fine!" the boy laughed nervously "But uh, c-can ya show me ta tha bathroom? I wanna make sure my hands are clean before I have m-my **EMERGANCY CUPCAKE.** "

The girl only nodded slightly, standing aside for Lumi to pass as Taffyta and Swizz quickly finished up their conversation.

"An' that is why lettin' him out _**NOW**_ without a scan would be bad for tha Peeps harvest!" Swizz said proudly. Taffyta looked drained, shaking her head.

 _"Who knew a marshmallow uprising could happen that fast…."_

"Alrighty! Now to-!"

The inventor and Taffyta paused, immediately noticing that SOMEONE was missing from the room, their hearts racing faster than their cars.

"C-butt, where is that fish kid?" Taffyta asked, her eyes sliding towards her friend.

"Oh, he just needed ta go ta tha bathroom!" the girl responded "He was so neat! He knows tha importance of washin' your hands before eatin' emergency cupcakes!"

Taffyta slammed her palm onto her forehead, the rug once more pulled from under her "Candlehead! _**AAUUURGH!"**_

" _Stupid window!"_

There were a few crashes and slams from the bathroom, the three rushing over to find the window of the room open and one racer missing. Candlehead looked surprised at first but she went into a huff, steam puffing over her head.

"He didn't even wash his hands! He won't be getting' HIS cupcake, I see ta that!"

"He's headed for tha village!" Taffyta cried out in horror, leaping up and out the window in a flurry of panic.

If any of the racers- No! If VANELLOPE'S crew spotted him, then they would all be in an ARCADE of trouble!

"Taffyta, wait!" Candlehead cried, following suit through the window, if a little more clumsily, Swizzle following through the front door as the three racers began an on foot chase towards the village.

"Ya just HAD ta let him out!" panted Swizz as he finally caught up with Taffyta "Ya just HAAAAAD ta let him-!"

"Just shut up, Swizzle." The girl said, trying to figure out WHERE such a child would have run off to.

With his lead ahead of the trio Lumi was darting towards the village, taking glances back at the houses every now and then just to make sure he wasn't dreaming about what he was seeing, but his eyes were not lying.

The house Swizzle had found himself residing in was nothing more than a small, compact cottage, nothing akin to the garage lab Lumi had mentioned or remembered so fondly.

"Ugh-! What tha heck was that all about?" The boy muttered to himself as he carried on his run off towards the village, the sweet landscape around him twisting and turning into shapes and formations that he could not recognize.

"That can't be where he lives! The village has gotta hold more ans-"

" _ **WAIT UP, GREEN COAT!"**_

The sure fire voice of candy hell that was Taffyta Muttonfudge quickly snapped from the distance, the blur of pink quickly catching up with him. He gave a scream, forcing his already tired legs to move faster.

" _ **DARN HER FOR GETTIN' HER MOTHER'S LEGS!"**_ the boy cried out in horror, seemingly struck with great terror at the mere thought of getting caught by the girl.

If getting stuck with a needle wasn't bad enough, the possibility of being throttled by a Muttonfudge was even worse!

"I just wanna get home!" The fishing boy cried, stumbling on his feet but carrying on.

Taffyta may had lead the way but even the length she had ran was starting to catch up with her, her entire face going red.

"W-why?!" she panted "C-Can't I find a Speed Up HERE?! I'D love a Seeker now!"

All three racers were tired of running but then they noticed something that made them stop in their tracks and turn around back to the cottage.

"Is he nuts?!" Swizz called out, being pulled back by Taffyta sharply, a small fishing truck passing by on the road in front of Lumi.

Before they could do anything, the boy clambered onto the back of the slow moving vehicle and hid himself in the back. The three watched in awe as the truck went down its path, their jaws slack.

"I guess he really DOES like fish." Candlehead said, breaking the silence between the three.

"Looks like I MIGHT hafta ride shot-gun again, C-Butt…."

The ride in the back of the truck was not a comfortable one but it if meant escape from the candy crazies, it was one worth taking.

" _They couldn't find me in here…"_ he whispered to himself, ducking within the nest of fish and other oddities in the truck bed, determined to get to the docks as quick as he possibly could _"An' once I get home, I'll tell Pop what's goin' on! He'll know what ta say!"_

It wasn't long before the truck itself passed into Delectable Docks, the sounds of the sea and various seagulls above providing the signal for Lumi to bail and get moving! The truck began to slow and when it finally went still, the boy immodestly darted from the pile of fish and dropped to the curb, making a hasty retreat from the scene.

He felt to be in the clear but as he made his way down past the variety of shacks and warehouses, the more he realized just how unfamiliar his desired destination was becoming. What he expected here lively shops, large ships, and many people but instead he could only see rotted dilapidated structures and not a single candy person in sight. The more he traversed, the more his worried began to sink in, the smell of rotting fish hitting his nose.

"What tha heck is all this?!" The boy gasped, looking at the polluted sea and the rusted ships trapped in the murky mud "W-What-?! What happened?! Wh-why does everythin'-!? Where is everyone-?!"

The boy turned back towards the truck, watching two burly candy citizens unloading their haul but much to Lumi's horror he found that the fish were not being DELIVIERED….

Rather they were being _**DUMPED.**_

He could see the boxes of lifeless fish being discarded into the muddy waters, the waves picking up as the murky and fetid smell hit the boy in the nose again. He immediately gagged, his body folding over as he turned away but he stumbled, his boots landing in the putrid water, trash and other things swarming nearby.

"NO!"

He jumped back, his foot hitting the side of a can. He looked down, seeing the faded label which revealed the smirking smile of an unknown man. Lumi cautiously moved in closer for a better look.

"K-King Candy's Kandy Krabmeat?"

Who was this King Candy? Did he have something to do with the way the docks had come to such a condition?

Lumi looked up once more, the entire sight of the putrid place hitting him harder than before.

"No! No no no no-!" The boy repeated in a panicky tone as he jumped to his feet and rushed down the docks, his hands cupped over his mouth "Hello?! Mom? Pop? ROLLIE?! Are ya guys around here?! The house isn't-"

" _ **HEY!"**_

Lumi turned around once more as a deep and grating voice signaled for his attention yet as he did, all the fear in his system escalated as large serpent slinked towards him, and by the looks of it, it was VERY, **VERY** ANGRY.

"Jussst what are _**YOU**_ doing here!?" the serpent hissed threateningly "Thissss area is off limitssss to outsss-!"

Lumi's eyes were as big as dinner plates as Snake moved closer….and then he pointed.

 _ **"AAAAAAAAAAAURGH!"**_

Snake leapt back, screaming as well _**"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUGH!"**_

" _ **AUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURGH!"**_

" _ **AAAAUUUUUURGH-!**_ Wait, why am _**I**_ sssscared?!"

" _ **GIANT SNAKE!**_ " The fisher boy screamed in sheer horror, turning around and jetting off as if the Devil's Food Cake were after him "Giant! Talking! _**SNAAAKE! WE'VE BEEN INVADED!"**_

"Invaded?!" Snake asked himself in confusion but once he realized his target was quickly getting away from him, he snapped to "Aurgh! I mean-!"

Darn kid.

"AFTER HIM!" Snake called back to his cronies, the rat partner stepping up.

"After him? For what? What did he-?"

"Just RUN!" Snake growled, slithering as fast as he could towards the boy in green, the whole group taking charge through the civilians, and various workers who were all shoved and pushed aside with no care or sympathy.

Lumi made the mistake of looking back, eyes meeting with that of the furious reptile.

"I get it! I get it!" the boy panted "Sugar Rush was attacked by alien snakes! IT'S GOTTA BE A BONUS STAGE!"

Not far ahead the three other racers were searching high and low for any signs of the boy, all of them trying their best to catch any scent or clue of where Lumi had disappeared to.

"How could we lose somethin' that bright n' GREEN?" Taffyta growled in frustration "It's like losing sight of a neon seeker in a dark room!"

"Just gimmie a second, Taff!" Swizzle called out, climbing from a small barrel with another device in his hand, a long metal rod with a screen that beeped slowly and rhythmically as it scanned the area for any trace code of the racer in question.

"I WOULD if it meant hurryin' it up with this search! I betcha Vanellope's found him by now!"

"Vanellope's probably givin' another group a tour of tha palace!" Swizz growled, finding it harder to concentrate.

"Or tha TRACK." Taffyta said "Which is where I bet our boy ran off to!"

"Then why didn't ya go that way before?! Ya had me fish out my best tools for all'a this an' we coulda-?!"

The barrel next to the two fell over, Candlehead rolling out but doing so as if nothing were out of the ordinary.

"To tha tracks we go!" she called out bravely, running in the opposite direction.

"C-Butt! Make a left! A LEFT!"

Candlehead was too far to hear her friend, the girl determined to find the mystery racer before anyone else.

"Where are ya, Pasty?" she thought to herself, looking to her right and then to her left "There's only so many place ya can go in-!"

"Outta the way! Giant snake on tha LOOSE!"

The fisher boy cried as he RUSHED past Candlehead, knocking her to the ground.

"Hey!"

Before another word was uttered between the two, SNAKE came rushing by, hands out and ready to grab the boy.

"Come back here you little CAVITY!"

"Oh, no!" Candlehead mewed in anguish, her gut telling her that once Snake had the boy in his coils he would be black and blue rather than just GREEN "Pastini! PASTINI!"

The chase was hitting its fever pitch but no one knew where exactly to head. Lumi and Snake headed one way, Candlehead the other, followed by Swizz, Taffyta and anyone else who was hapless enough to get caught in the fray!

The only thing the strange boy could wonder was how long the pain would last, the sharp talons of Snake's claws felt on his neck.

"Come back here!"

"NO!" Lumi shouted at the top of his lungs, refusing to look back "Go gargle on a barnacle, scale-bait! I ain't-!"

Being unfamiliar with the game once more reared it's ugly had on the boy as when he tried to make a turn-

BAM!

He ran straight into a wall, his face planted flat on the brick surface.

" _Oooow. HURT."_

He fell backwards, Snake slowly approaching him with a deep chuckle echoing in his throat.

"Hehe, so easy."

Lumi quickly got to his feet, scowling at the giant creature but he knew he was trapped, his hands pressed against the wall behind him.

"U-Uh! I wouldn't mess with me if I were ya!"

Snake snickered, putting his hands to his side "Oh, an' why not kiddo?"

"Uh! I-I've been trained in how ta gut a fish with just a-! A-!"

The boy looked around, scanning the garbage around him for ANYTHING he could use to fight back with. Without thinking he reached for a discarded soda cup, flinging the broken straw towards the snake.

"I know how ta gut a fish with a STRAW! An' it won't be that hard ta do tha same thing ta ya!"

For a moment, Snake was surprised that such a small child had even CONSIDERED making a threat towards him but the surprise didn't last long, laughter escaping him again. Lumi knew this wasn't a good sign, the straw drooping as well as his confidence.

"L-Look, I just wanna know where I am…." The boy gulped, trying to look around for any means of escape but Snake make certain that any way out was blocked, moving closer and closer to the power.

"You're in Sssssugar Russssh, kid…" the reptilian creature said with a sneer "An' sssseein' as you look like you belong with thosssse other Cavitiessss, allow me ta give you the welcoming you desssserve!"

"STOP!"

Lumi felt his heart leaping into his chest as he looked, Snake turning to see a girl in pink standing angrily behind him.

"I said STOP, Snake-Breath!"

"Well well well, if it issssn't Muttonflub." Snake-Oil hissed, making certain to take Lumi by the arm "I think I found one of your widdle friendssss."

"Ya leave him alone Snake-GREASE!" Candlehead jumped out from behind her friend "He wasn't doin' anythin' ta ya so don't hurt 'im!"

Lumi looked on with a gaze of confusion and impression, not expecting the girl to rush such a massive creature and soon Swizz came in from behind though he didn't seem wear the same air of confidence as the two girls.

"Look, this is just a big misunderstandin'…." The boy said, knowing full well that with Snake, things were only going to get more difficult "Just let him go an' everyone can go back ta whatever they're doin', okay?"

"Not until I know who THISSSS issss!" the snake hissed in anger, flinging Lumi forward, the boy screaming "I've never ssssseen THISSSS one before!"

"Then ya must not have been payin' attention." Taffyta said in a snappy voice "A'course, givin' how much your eyes are on Vanellope's BUTT all tha time, I'm surprised ya notice anything else at all!"

Snake gave a roaring hiss as he threw the boy towards the three, Lumi grunting in pain as he landed on the ground.

"Please don't tell me that was your plan ta get me free…"

"Well, it worked didn't it?" Taffyta responded, helping the boy back on his feet.

"Tell me who you are, boy!" Snake bellowed, his voice echoing off the walls "Tell me who you are before I-!"

Taffyta began to scoot Lumi backwards, getting him out of the way of the creature.

"O-Or you'll WHAT?" the girl continued to jeer, trying to keep focus on her "Ssssend him to ssssssleep with all that sssssssill SSSSSS SSSSSS-ALK?!"

" _ **MUTTONFUDGE!"**_

"Run!" Taffyta cried out to the boy, pushing him back.

"Where?! I don't know where anythin' is in this place anymore!"

"Just anywhere! Before- _ **AUUUURGH!"**_

Taffyta cried out as she felt herself grabbed and squeezed between Snake's tail, the furious fellow tightening his coils around her.

"You think you're ssssso SSSSLICK!" he hissed "I sssshould have guessssed that YOU had sssssomething to do with thissss! You're ALWAYSSSSS the one caussssing tr-!"

" _ **YAAAAURGH!"**_

Before Snake knew what was happening a flash of green appeared before his eyes, a great weight dropping on his head! He screamed loudly, dropping Taffyta onto the ground as something else grabbed his face, blocking his view.

"What issss happening?! WHAT ISSSS HAPPENING?!"

"Don't ya put your hands on her, Scale-Face!" Lumi shouted angrily, his tiny hands grasping onto Snake's head as he continued to block his view "No body messes with my friend!"

Taffyta looked back, astonished; friend?

What made the boy thing he was her friend?

Snake continued to thrash around in blindness, running back into the wall and giving himself a good knock on the head, Lumi jumping off in the nick of time. He rolled on the ground but then ran towards the other racers, signaling them to follow.

"C'mon!"

Taffyta and the others were still a little nonplused from what they had just seen.

"Um, we were chasin' ya…" said Swizz "But now ya want us ta follow ya?"

"We gotta find tha King an' Queen!" said Lumi, his attention taken "If there are others like that creep here, then we're in deep-!"

Lumi once more prepared to turn…and ran right into something else.

"Aw, geeze!" Taffyta winced in pain, watching the boy go down, Swizz simply shaking his head. Lumi could only see stars, the poor boy not having any luck.

" _Is this happenin' because I lost my lucky lure?"_

" _ **MRS. TAMERA JEAN CALHOUN FIX-IT FELIX JR!**_ " Candlehead gasped, another shadow falling upon the boy.

"What tha-?" came the confused voice "What in tha name of Litwak's Nana is goin' on here?!"

Taffyta blanched as she looked about, a large crowd gathering around them, the lead of the group being that of Vanellope and her hero companions.

" _Oh, no…"_

Soon people began to murmur around the four, the strawberry girl only dreading what they could be talking about. Lumi meanwhile was coming out of his daze, shaking his head as he came eye-to-eye with the blue eyes of Calhoun.

"OH!"

"Hello." The woman said, raising a brow "I…I don't think I've seen YA before, kid."

Seeing another unfamiliar face Lumi backed away "An' I-I've never seen ya before either, lady."

Vanellope stopped short of the crowd, looking oddly at the boy before looking at Taffyta and the others.

"I-!"

"Um…"

"Who-who is THIS?" the vanilla racer asked, Felix walking behind her.

"Ya mean ta tell me ya don't know who this is?"

"NO!" the girl said, her eyes going back to Taffyta "Taff?"

The strawberry girl grimaced nervously, her cheeks turning red.

"Um, it was a surprise?"

"For who?" the girl asked, carefully approaching the boy "With all tha hoo-haw we heard this way, it sounded like ya were startin' a war or-!"

 _"Vanellope?"_

The girl stopped, taking notice in the look of bewilderment the green-coated boy was giving her. She looked to her sides, making certain that someone else wasn't in view.

"Aaaah…."

Lumi slowly got to his feet, still in a daze to who he was looking at "Vanellope?!"

The girl didn't know how to react to the strange, slinking back towards Ralph for protection.

"I-! Why-?!" the boy tried to say, pointing towards the girl's clothing "What tha heck are ya wearin'?!"

"Wait, WHAT?" the vanilla racer responded, sounding a bit offended "What do ya mean by that?"

"Woooow, did ya get so tired of those dresses that ya decided ta make your OWN clothes or somethin'?" the boy whistled "Man, ya REALLY shudda taken some lessons from Sakura on this one."

"What does Sakura hafta do with this?" the girl asked, miffed "An-! An' my clothes are fine! At least I'm not in some Fruity Roll-Up lookin' getup!"

Something to the comment made the boy wrinkle his nose, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Still as 'clever' as ever with those comebacks, eh Princess?"

Hearing the term 'PRINCESS', Vanellope turned, looking wide-eyed.

"What did ya call me?"

"What else? PRINCESS." The boy scoffed "Your mom would have my boots if we called ya anythin' else but heh, that's the Von Schweetz for ya. Gotta do whatever it takes ta make their pwecious vanilla drop happy!"

The heroes exchanged looks, caught off guard by how CALM the boy had gone in the situation. Even the other racers were surprised, not expecting Lumi to strike a conversation with the game's President so casually, especially after the scare he had been given moment before.

"Can we end this joke?" the boy asked, rubbing the back of his head "All these snakes an' tha mess at tha pier an' now you in all this ragamuffin stuff. It's not funny anymore, Von Schweetz."

"How…how do ya know Vanellope?" Ralph asked, giving the boy a skeptic look. The green racer looked the Wrecker up and down, something coming to his mind.

"Guess you're from another game." The boy laughed "So allow me ta introduce myself!"

Before all, the young boy got into his pose, the stars and sparkles going off behind him.

"Tha name is Pastilli Gumbettino! Fishin' is the name and racin' is the game!"


	9. Chapter Eight- Examine

Chapter Eight- Examine

" _What? Someone tried to attack Vanellope?!"_

" _There was a guy runnin' amuck in the game?!"_

" _Someone in a green coat?"_

" _Was he a virus?"_

" _Did he get caught?"_

Those were the words, among many, that were dancing off the tongues of the inhabitants of Litwak's, news of this mysterious stranger reaching every game faster than any kart in Sugar Rush. It wasn't enough that the new child had appeared so suddenly in the midst of so many things happening, but to hear the child speak of Vanellope's name, as if he knew her-?

" _Why is everyone lookin' at me?_ " asked the boy called Lumi, inching away from the crowd that had gathered around him _"What-? What did I do?"_

He turned towards Vanellope, the vanilla racer looking the most shocked of all but as Lumi inspected further he could see a familiar sight. It was her eyes; they looked the same as the other racers when he had first come online, so life-less and so confused. Right away Lumi knew Vanellope's response would be no different from that of the others, the boy swallowing back as he gripped his hands.

"You…you do remember me, _don't ya?_ " he asked, hope vacant in his throat as he already knew the answer.

Vanellope on the other hand was still trying to take in everything before her. She saw the strange boy but she also saw the trio of other racers, the group huddled together in GUILT.

What had they done?

"Taffyta?"

The pink racer stood up, face scrunched in a frown but from the way her lip was trembling it was easy to tell how nervous she was.

"Yeah, Nelly?"

Vanellope said nothing, pointing over to the boy. By her expression alone, Taffyta didn't need to be told anything else.

"Um, I can explain this. I can!"

"Is this a new racer?"

Everyone turned, Felix stepping out of the crowd and looking about Lumi with a childlike look of curiosity. He observed the boy, looking at each and every detail about him, the unknown racer doing the same.

"Amazin'…. _ **EXTRAORDINARY!**_ "

"Honey-glows?" Calhoun asked, arching a brow "Think that's a good idea?"

While Lumi entered the game in the worst possible way there was something to Felix's movements that eased the tension between himself and the other characters. The little Hero may have been moving too fast for the boy to keep track but he felt something comforting about Felix, something that felt so familiar.

"Well."

Lumi shrank back a bit as the Hero stood over him, seeing the smile on his face.

"Lumi was it?"

"Uh, yeah?"

Felix lowered his hand, his smile growing "Fix-it-Felix Jr! From tha game, Fix-it-Felix Jr!"

If the situation around the boy hadn't made him feel so small and powerful he would have shook the hero's hand back almost immediately, but with this many eyes and many whispers going around him, he just didn't feel comfortable enough to do anything to draw attention.

But it would have been rude to refuse.

"Uhm, Pastilli Gumbettino..." the boy whispered awkwardly as he gently shook the gloved hand. Lumi was surprised, feeling something warm and friendly from the Hero in blue that had since escaped him after being awaken.

Perhaps there was someone in this flipped game worthy of trust after all.

"Felix!"

Both the strange boy and Felix jumped, the large shadow of Snake dropping over them. Lumi felt his feet shaking in their boots, the eyes of the creature cutting into him menacingly.

"What is it, sir?" Felix asked, putting his hands on his sides.

"That might not be a wisssse idea!" the snake hissed, eyes narrowing towards the racer "Who knowssss what he could be hidi-!"

The repair man's nose wrinkled, he would said something SOUR had most of the crowd not been around, but at the risk of making it all worse? It wasn't worth it. In this case, it was far better to keep to his usual polite composure.

"I don't think there's anything I need ta worry about, thank ya Mr. Oil." The Hero in blue said, giving the brim of his hat a flick "Tha kid gives off good vibes."

For once since the whole ordeal began Lumi was starting to relax but it was not to last, at least not when Snake was concerned. The creature glared down at the boy in green, upper link quivering in anger, his needle-sharp teeth peeking through and only to remind the boy his first narrow escape.

" _Don't like needles, don't like needles. Don't like needle-sharp teeth!"_

The air in the game itself was one of confusion, but also uncertainty of the new arrival. From the mists of the crowd however, Vanellope was still hanging back as Snake Oil took full control of the lead, as if he believed himself to be the main protector of the game.

"I can ssssense it on him….he issss not of thisss game."

Lumi's eyes widened, cowering behind Felix "No, NO! I-!"

"He ssssmellssss of disssstrusssst! He ssssmellssss of BETRAYAL!"

"What, that's INSANE." said Felix, pushing Lumi back "From tha way you're goin' 'bout it, you're makin' tha kid out ta be some sorta VIRUS!"

"What else COULD he be?!" roared the ravenous reptile, rising high on his tail.

The whispers of the crowd soon began to grow more rowdy, demanding to see this new 'racer' in all his green glory, and it wasn't attention Lumi was looking for. If anything he just wanted to crawl away from the crowd and go somewhere quiet, but he knew that wasn't going to happen.

Not too far away, the sweet trio responsible for bringing Lumi forward remained stuck in their places, swept away by the confrontation.

" _Taffyta..._ " Candlehead whispered as she backed away towards their end of the docks, " _I don't have a good feelin' about this. We should get him outta here!_ "

The Muttonfudge knew there was no way of crawling out of this situation even if she wanted to, her legs speed nowhere fast enough to prove for a hasty escape. She looked at Lumi, the boy still cowering behind Felix as Snake and his gang inched ever closer to him, his sharp hands reaching out for the boy and looking as if he were ready to slice him wafer thin.

The girl scowled, her heart racing; she knew she had to save him, to do something but even she was terrified, if only because she could only dread the outcome should anyone else find out that part of the reason behind Lumi's sudden appearance was HER doing.

"Taffyta?"

The strawberry girl looked back, Swizz motioning his hand towards the fight, awaiting her direction and moves.

" _Well?"_

She was just too scared to move, something heavy in her mind holding her back.

" _Taffyta, what do we do?!"_

" _I don't know!"_

Back in the thick of the crowd Vanellope looked up, seeing the trio arguing among themselves and somehow not tangled up in the massive web of a fight. How had they managed to wriggle their way free, considering their appearance had coincided so perfectly with this Lumi character. She pouted, pulling herself away from the crowd and marching over to the others.

"Whu-oh!" Swizz gasped, shaking the girl in pink "Better be on the war-path!"

"What?! What's-?!"

"Ya got some explainin' ta do Taffyta!"

The strawberry racer gasped, looking towards her front to see Vanellope glaring at her angrily. She knew she wouldn't be able to evade trouble and from the looks of things it had only gotten DEEPPER.

" _Oh no…."_

The President huffed potently, the cool air between the racers only heating up as the two became more head to head, "I wanna know who in tha heck is this! An' what ya have ta do with him!"

Taffyta's hat nearly flipped off her head, her brows furrowing "What?! Why would ya think this is OUR fault?!"

"He shows up outta nowhere but you're chasin' him down!" Vanellope huffed, putting her hands to her side "I think that kinda clued me in."

The other girl growled but moved back, her stance relaxing as she flipped her hair "Oh, so NOW ya care about what we do?"

Vanellope blinked in confusion, stepping back a bit "What's that supposed ta mean?"

The girl in pink rolled her eyes "Here we all are, tellin' ya for weeks how your new 'FRIENDS' have been gunnin' for us but ya put it in tha back pocket. But then somethin' happens ta disrupt your fun an' SUDDENLY ya notice an' then blame it on us?"

A smirk curled on Taffyta's lips; she knew she was risking it but there was a part of her enjoying pushing Vanellope back for a change.

"I'm surprised ya even care, really." The girl in pink continued "Or is it somethin' else?"

Vanellope knew better than to let Taffyta get her but she could not avoid those eyes, that smirk that was sending shivers down her spine. It was clear that Taffyta was no longer scared of her and wasn't planning on standing down anytime soon but the vanilla racer wasn't planning the same.

"Maybe you're scared'a lil competition." Taffyta snorted, tapping her foot on the ground "Another racer? Another chance ta lose out in front of your buddies?"

Vanellope shook in anger, glitching and balling her little hands "Oh, I'm tha one who's scared, Muttonfudgy? Then what do ya call all that slinkin' about ya were doin'? Tryin' ta get a better view or things or were ya gonna turn tail an' run?"

"Vanellope, wait!" Candlehead shouted as she jumped between the two girls, pushing them away "We-! I can explain-!"

"Don't even think about it!" Taffyta ordered "No matter what we say, ya know they won't believe it!"

"But Taffyta-!"

"Yeah, Taffyta!" Vanellope snapped "If ya just gave me a chance-! I mean, if ya just told me what was goin' on then maybe-!"

"Hey! LET ME GO!"

The group turned, Lumi trying to escape his way from Snake's clutches, the large snake grasping onto his coat. Lumi fought and tugged back but there was no escape. Candlehead gasped in horror and ran forward, waving her hands in front of the reptilian rough-houser.

"Hey, HEY! WHAT ARE YA DOIN'?!"

"Getting rid of thissss piece of garbage!" Snake hissed, flinging Lumi to the side "I know a virus when I see one!"

"He is NOT a virus!" Candlehead shouted loudly, Felix appearing beside her and pulling her away for her safety "So-! So leave him alone ya big brute!"

Lumi opened his eyes, shocked to see the cake-themed girl looking so angry.

" _C-Butt?"_

"Lemme handle this, Miss Candlehead." Felix said as he stood before the snake again, grabbing his hand and yanking it off of Lumi "Is that any way ta treat someone?"

Lumi tumbled forward and landed at Candlehead's feet. Thankfully the spill wasn't too much on the boy but his head was still spinning from the encounter.

"Are ya okay?!" panted Candlehead, scrambling to pick Lumi back on his feet "You're not hurt are ya?"

If there was anything that was hurt in that moment it was the boy's pride. He smiled sheepishly, his head still swimming from the crash.

"Me? Heh, I-I'm okay, C-Butt."

"Now I understand why everyone is on edge here…." Felix continued, trying to regain control of the situation "But we're not gonna get anywhere if we keep buggin' out like this! Give us a moment ta find out what's really goin' on here!"

"An' let thissss potential virussss take over the game and put Vanellope in danger?" Snake hissed, once again purposely omitting the other racers from the apparent threat "Felix! How could you be sssso thoughtlesssss?!"

Even Vanellope had to do a double-take at the comment, glitching beside her friend "Now hold on, Oil! That's not-!"

"That green menace could be a ssssleeper!" Snake continued, stepping over Vanellope once more "A time bomb! If Vanellope doesn't know who or WHAT he issss, it can't be any good!"

"Is it my fault everyone here seems ta have am-he-sia?!" Lumi protested, not realizing he had said the word incorrectly "Or are we still playin' a game? I wanna know-!"

"THISSSS ISSSS NO GAME, VIRUSSSS!" Snake shouted towards Lumi, knocking both he and Candlehead over "Do not think you can fool ussss! I _**KNOW**_ you're here to causssse trouble! You're here to caussse harm to Vanellope!"

Lumi wanted to get a single word out, to say anything to fully explain what was going on but no matter which way he turned he felt bombarded by so many words, so many faces. He just couldn't understand what was happening in the game and more importantly why he was seen as a virus. Was it his color, was it how he had greeted himself? No one had the answer but they sure were content in throwing accusations around.

"W-wait, I can prove that I'm from here!" Lumi shouted as he got to his feet "I can name tha king an' queen!"

"King Candy doesss not rule here, Virussss!" Snake growled, not even giving Lumi room to breathe.

"WHO is King Candy?! King Tobias rules this place!" Lumi blurted out, Vanellope's eyes going wide.

" _King….King Tobias?"_

"Yeah! King Tobias-! Le-Lerone! Tobias-Lerone!" Lumi continued, his mind going faster as so many names were going through his head "An' Queen Milka! They ran this place so where are they?"

"I told you he wassss lying!" Snake crowed again "No characterssss of ssssuch namesss live here!"

"Yes they do!" Lumi cried out, everyone hearing the desperation in his voice "They-! They live in tha candy castle an' Mr. Flubbutters would help them an'-!"

"Wait."

The crowd when silent as everyone turned their focus on the president of the game, her face pale.

"Mr. Flubbutters. As in…Rancis Flubbutters?"

"Mr. Flubbutters is his dad." Lumi said "Mr. Flubbutters, Mr. Reese? He was tha King's right-hand man. Would always be on tha look out for some sticky business but then somethin' would happen an' he'd end up sticky instead!"

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Once more, Candlehead found herself in a fit of giggles, laughing at a joke that all else were oblivious to. Lumi smiled hopefully at the girl, rushing over to her.

"Yeah! Yeah, do ya remember, Candles?"

"N-No!" Candlehead laughed, wiping a tear from her eyes "B-B-but it sounds so funny! St-sticky situation! Hahahaha, PEANUT BUTTER!"

Lumi deflated a bit; again, no one could recall the memories he was certain were true in his head and with how angry everyone around him looked.

"What am I gonna do?"

"Yesss, what ARE you going to do, Presssident?" Snake hissed, leering down upon the other racers "Ssssomething musssst be done in order to take care of thissss invader."

"I am not an invader, Snake Bite!" Lumi finally said, stomping his foot towards the creature "If there's anyone where who looks like they crawled outta tha ugly pit an' invaded somethin', it's YOU!"

" _ **WHY YOU LITTLE TWERP-!"**_

Ralph knew he had to say something as he was in no mood to handle another argument but he also didn't trust the boy. The last thing the Wrecker wanted to happen in the game was another usurper to steal the throne from under Vanellope's feet but perhaps it was his own want in protecting her that made him jump too quickly. He reached down and picked the boy up, his tiny cries filling the air.

"Hey, put me down!"

"I think Snake may have a point on this one." Ralph said, observing Lumi "Who knows where this one came from."

"I have a name, ya big gorilla!" Lumi fought back "It's Pastilli Gumbettino an' don't ya forget it!"

Vanellope sighed; this situation was just getting more and more heated for her to handle, and even then what other evidence did she have to support the claims of danger?

"Ralph, put the kid down." Felix said "It's one thing ta be cautious but I don't think tha kid's a virus."

"Then what is he?!" Ralph demanded, Lumi seeing that the big man meant business "Vanellope's never seen 'em, I've never seen 'em! The guys could be right! He might be a VIRUS!"

Felix crossed his arms, giving Ralph a look "So you're just gonna jump ta conclusions like that? Gonna put labels on a person without knowing THA FULL STORY?"

Ralph knew exactly what Felix was hinting at, the big man feeling flustered and a bit embarrassed at how quickly he had jumped the gun.

"C-Can ya blame me for bein' a bit jumpy? I don't want anythin' ta happen ta tha game anymore!"

"So how did ya get here, Gumbo?" Vanellope asked, her purposely mocking the boy's name "Tha stroke dropped ya off or somethin'?"

"No." the boy began, finally breaking free of Ralph's grasp and landing on the ground "I just woke up in Swizz' lab, Taff an' C-Butt around me!"

"Swizz' lab? How did ya get that far out?"

"I dunno. I just woke up there." The boy continued, rubbing the back of his neck "An' that's when all this fuss an' stuff happened! I thought we were just plugged in so-!"

"Wait! Code boxesss aren't jussst found outta thin air!" shouted Snake, once more bumping his snout into the conversation "If you ARE part of thissss game assss you claim then that meanssss that ssssome HAD to take your box from the code room! SSSSOMEONE LIKE-!"

All eyes turned to Taffyta, the girl feeling her hair standing on end. She knew that Snake was once again turn the blame on her and the others, the sneer already forming on his face.

"SSSHE did it!" Snake said, pointing a clawed finger at Taffyta "SSSSHE broke into the code room and SSSTOLE the box!"

Like clockwork the crowd started murmuring again, everyone making up their minds on how Taffyta went about her dastardly deed of breaking into Vanellope's abode to make use of the precious code herself but the girl wasn't having it. She twisted her cap around, walking up to snake.

"Of course I didn't STEAL the box!" she shouted "We found it at the junkyard!"

"Oh, yeah right!" cackled Snake "Ssssince when are code boxessss jussst thrown out like TRASSSH?"

"I dunno." Taffyta said cooly "I guess since butt-faced reptiles an' there goon friends STEAL karts an' try ta break 'em apart for SCRAP? Maybe since THEN?"

Snake froze, feeling the cold glare of Calhoun hitting him. She had already caught the creature terrorizing the Zaki triplets and another incident was only adding to her confirmation list. He may have had a few people under his oily charm but he was smart enough to know that if he were to get caught again, Calhoun would not go easy on him. He kept to his scales, deflecting the blame right back onto the pink racer.

"But that'ssss not posssssible! Code cannot lassst that long outssside a main room!" he hissed and slithered next to Vanellope, placing his hands on her shoulder "And assss we all know, only SSSSUPERIORSSSS have that kind of accesssss….unlesss-!"

Calhoun snorted, ready to hear whatever story the snake was going to cook up next "Pfft, unless what?"

"Unlessss SSSSHE broke in!" Snake shouted towards Taffyta once more "I KNOW ssshe broke in! Sssshe HAD to have broken in!"

"On what grounds, Snake?" the marine asked, Lumi watching her in awe "What PROOF do ya have that could lead us back ta Taffyta breakin' inta tha code room?"

"SSSShe is TURBO'SSSS girl!" growled the reptile "That'ssss all the evidence we need! She could have all kinds of information-!"

Calhoun took a hold of Snake's wrist and pushed it down, shaking her head "Still not enough, bucko. You're just throwin' round guesses an' that ain't gonna get us anywhere."

"It'ssss the only way!" Snake cried out again, refusing to be backed into a corner or let the other racers escape "Ssshe hasss all the meansss, all the motivation!"

"Now, wait a second here-!"

The crowd only began to get louder and more voiced as Snake Oil approached the three racers, smiling deviously as he saw that they could not escape from his presence.

"Ssso Muttonsssludge, care to tell ussss how you BROKE inta the code room in order ta get him out?!"

He grabbed for her arm, pulling her forward with such force she screamed, Candlehead and Swizz ducking in fright.

"Tell me! You can't lie to ussss you worthless-!"

" _ **BACK OFF, SNAKE BREATH!"**_

Snake gave a shout as he felt a heavy push on his chest, his grip lost upon Taffyta.

"Who wassss-?!"

"Boooy, your attitude STINKS worse than week old fish!" Lumi growled, the boy leaping in front of the other racers as he stood before the snake "What's your problem anyway, Snake-Eyes?! Just because she's a Muttonfudge doesn't mean ya can throw her around like some football!"

He may have been tossed about but Lumi knew when it was time to help a friend, this situation loudly calling for it! He knew he was small but he had to do something to protect the three racers from the advancing snake; one HUGE snake that was hungry for pain.

"Y-Yeah, I ain't scared'a you! My dad's used creeps like ya for CHUM!"

" _His dad?_ _"_ Candlehead whispered to her friends, still confused.

"Y-Yeah, I guess things here HAVEN'T changed that much!" Lumi continued, keeping a steady eye on the snake "Tha precious attention-seekin' Pwincess can't go ANYWHERE without her goon-squad sniffin' her butt! Only this time it's not candy but a buncha barfy lookin' scale faces!"

The three behind Lumi exchanged looks of disbelief, shocked that Lumi would bite off such a chance, along with continuing his princess stance with Vanellope.

"I knew ya were nothing but trouble!" the creature growled, tripping Lumi with his tail before wrapping him tight in his coils "And ssssince you want to help Muttonssssludge sssso much, why don't I give YOU the beating I was ssssaving for her?!"

Candlehead's eyes nearly popped from her skull, the girl beside herself in horror "PASTILLI! NO!"

 _ ***BOOM BOOM BOOM!***_

Snake let out a high-pitched wail as gunshots went off behind him, dropping Lumi back into the group of kids as he ducked. Behind him, Calhoun blew the smoke away from her gun.

"Alright, ya guys. I think we get the point." The Marine said as she returned her weapon to its holster "But before we get ta tha main wrestlin' event can I at least say I KNOW no one broke inta tha code valut."

"Wait, Sarge. How could YA know?" Ralph asked the woman, realizing his mistake once he saw her smirking.

* * *

 _ **BWREEEEEEP! BWREEEEEEEEEEEEP! STEP AWAY FROM THE VAULT! STEP AWAY FROM THE VAULT! ARRRRRRK ARRRRRRRRRRK ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRK!**_

The crowd of character covered their eyes in agony, shouting out to the heaven as the alarm continued to blare, the entire castle shaking.

" _ **GOOD LORD IN HEAVEN! WHAT IS THAT?!"**_ Felix screamed out, unable to even hear himself as he knelt to the ground.

Calhoun, her ears protected with some well-placed plugs, pushed the button on the wall, the alarm finally going silent.

" _ **THAT**_ is the alarm I set for tha code-room. Had Taffy or anyone else gone near this thing, everyone within a twelve game radius wudda heard it."

"When did ya install THIS thing?!" Ralph panted, hitting the side of his head as his hearing was STILL muffled.

"Last week when ya guys were asleep." Calhoun smiled "Thought I just added somethin' ta keep tha place safe."

" _ **I**_ don't even know tha code for it, Sarge! How am I supposed ta turn it off?!" Vanellope cried, her ears still ringing.

"Just be glad it didn't come equipped with GUNS." Ralph grumbled, the Marine slapping him heartily on the back.

"No, that's the UPDATED model! I'd be glad ta install that for ya!"

" _ **NO!"**_

"S-S-S-So I'm in tha clear?" Taffyta trembled, still reeling from the effects of the alarm "It-it-it-it-!"

She put up a finger, turning around and catching her breath.

" _Blurtgh! Holy CRACKER-JACKS, what was that?!"_

"I should say you're in tha clear." The marine said, a slight haughty tone in her voice "Less tha Pres wants ta go over tha tape feeds, there's no way anyone cudda broken inta tha code room without SOMEONE knowin'."

" _ **YES! I CAN SEE THAT!**_ " Swizz yelled out loudly, not sure if anyone could hear him as he could not hear himself.

"See? She was tellin' tha truth!" Candlehead said as be bounced forward, having recovered from the sound blast a lot faster than expected "Me n' Taff found this box when we were tryin' ta stop Snake from breakin' up Pink LIghtenin'!"

Once more Snake felt a shiver go down his scales; it was bad enough that his attempts at framing Taffyta had once again failed but Candlehead was about to spill the jellybeans on his crooked activities. He had to do anything to keep suspicion off of him.

"I-I sssstill think itssss impossible for a code box to lasssst that long in the elementssss without noticccce!" he cut in, fingers twitching nervously.

"Actually…."

All eyes went to Swizz, the boy pacing back and forth as his big sugar-coated brain began to think.

"There is no real 'expiration date' for a box that has been removed from tha void. True, more dangers are posed towards it given it is out of tha safety zone of tha void which it can be easily repaired an' restored to its proper functions…."

A few in the crowd gave the boy curious looks, not at all used to seeing him turn in such a way but for Taffyta and Candlehead?

The two girls smiled, Taffyta taking in the moment with an air of arrogance about her, loving the confused looks on the others' faces.

"A code box can last for YEARS outside tha void if it's kept well hidden an' guarded an' I think that's EXACTLY what happened to our boy Lou-. Louis. Louie."

"LUMI."

"-LUMI here!" Swizz finished, snapping his fingers excitedly.

"You're just making that up, Drizzle!" said Snake, once again trying to knock the other racers down "Who would have gone through sssso much trouble jussst to hide ssssome code box! The green one is a VIRUSSSS! A virusss that Muttonflub-!"

"There WAS one person who'd do such a thing."

Snake turned, Calhoun walking up to the boy.

"Sarge?"

"Turbo." The woman began "Who else but him?"

Vanellope glitched in fear at the very mention of the name and the very thought of him tearing his way through the code void again.

"After all, this was tha guy who unplugged an' tried ta delete Vanellope. I wouldn't put it past him that he'd do tha same ta any other bit of data here what would uncover his plans."

"But what does this kid hafta do with it?" asked Ralph "I mean, we've never seen his name on tha board before, no one's ever mentioned him so how could he exist?"

"I got tha answer for that, Mr. Wreck-It!" Swizz smiled up to the man "When I gave Lou-?"

"LUMI."

"-LUMI'S box a look through when tha girls brought him over, I found out he was an unused asset!"

Ralph blinked in surprised "An unused asset?"

"Yeah! His code is nearly complete but I guess because of somethin' that happened while tha game was finished, he was never really put into tha main core."

Calhoun pondered for a moment, her own brainwaves starting to align with that of the lollipop racer "An' seein' as this kid wasn't hooked up, Turbz could have easily just removed tha box without a major ripple goin' through tha game an' no one would have been tha wiser!"

Lumi remained silent, so lost to what was going on. Who was this Turbo and what exactly had he done to the game while he had been 'sleeping'. It was bad enough to hear people call him an asset so loosely but could this explain why no one recognized him? How was this possible, considering HE was able to recognize them?

"S-So it's not like me then, Swizz?" Vanellope asked nervously, breaking free from Snake's shadow and approaching the racer "Turbo didn't make Lumi a glitch?"

"No, no. In order for that ta have happened, Lumi would have had ta be connected ta tha main core like I said but he wasn't. He may have just been put in tha storage area of tha game like anything else that went unused."

Vanellope felt something forming in the pit of her stomach, a sense of sickness that always resurfaced whenever she or anyone else reminded her of the things that Turbo had done to her code in order to break his way through. The very thought that Turbo could have done the same to others made his rule all the more terrifying to her but it wasn't as if she were the only one who had been effected.

Even if they themselves were not glitched, Vanellope remembered how the racers had had their memories and their stories stolen by the man, everything replaced by his image.

If Lumi had been tossed away in the dump in such a manner, could that have meant there were others just like him hidden about? And if so, just how much was missing from the President's code if she herself could not recall it.

"Wow, ya really got that through!" Calhoun chuckled to herself as she looked down at Swizz "Didn't know ya had it in ya, kiddo?"

The boy blushed, quickly getting into a more 'suave' stance around the older woman "Th-That? Pa-SHAAAW! I debug stuff harder than this on my freetime! Tis what I do ta keep my mind sharp for racin'!"

"So…so does this mean that this kid is real?" Ralph asked, Lumi not taking too well to being called 'this kid' "He's not a virus or anythin' like that?"

Calhoun approached the boy and took out one of her own devices, the light going up and down the startled child. After a few moments the device beeped, the marine giving a nod.

"Mm-HMM!"

"What is it, honey?"

"I'm gettin' a readin' of one-hundred percent-!"

Everyone waited on baited breath, some hoping for a good outcome while others thought just the opposite.

"One-hundred percent Sugar Rushian code!"

Lumi felt like flipping over right out the window. He KNEW he was part of the game, he felt he was part of the game and to have someone finally CONFIRM that was the icing on the cake for him.

"YEEEES!" Candlehead cheered, jumping up and down on her feet "We gotta new racer! We gotta new racer!"

"What did I tell ya?" Taffyta snickered, pulling her friend back to the ground "There was nothin' ta worry 'bout this at all."

"Kinda wish….."

The children turned, Vanellope giving them a harsh, and somewhat sick, look.

"Kinda wish ya guys wudda told me." The vanilla racer said "I….I didn't wanna be outta tha loop with this, ya know."

Taffyta knew Vanellope had a point but she stuck to her own guns, kicking the floor with her foot "We were just excited, kay? Ya can't blame us for that, now can ya?"

"Taffyta, wait-!"

"Do not worry yoursssself sssso much about thissss, Pressssident."

The unsettling sounds of Snake's hiss filled the ears of the small racers again, the lot of them turning around to see the creature looking down upon them but there was something different about his stance this time around. He seemed more relaxed, calmer and clearer but it was but something sweet trio knew not to trust. Taffyta readied herself for any attack, not at all trusting the creature's chuckle.

"I guessss I took thingssss too far." The character said, eyes scanning on the racers below "But there have been sssso many thingssss that have happened ssssince the Presssident regained her posssition."

"Why do ya keep callin' her that? President?" Lumi asked "Vanellope is a PRINCESS."

"It isss a long sssstory, Racer." Snake said, feeling the need to regale the tale to Lumi himself "One that I sssshould be happy to tell if you come with ussss."

Lumi blinked, thrown off by Snake's sudden turn to kindness. Wasn't this the same character who only moments before was shrieking he was a virus, throwing the other racers around and more or less wanted to crush the lot of them between his scales? Why was he acting so nice now?

"I think _**WE**_ can handle that." Taffyta growled, making a move for Lumi but Snake acted the quicker this time, pulling the boy back towards himself and Vanellope.

"I do believe that _**WE**_ may be better ssssuited for thisss, Muttonfudge."

By now Taffyta KNEW that Snake was playing face, the creature having no respect for the girl to even call her by her correct name on a good day.

"Presssident?"

Vanellope looked up at Snake-Oil, her ponytail twitching "Wha um, ME?"

"Thisss boy is new. He needssss your guidanccce and care to enssssure that nothing bad happenssss to him or that he end up in the wrong crowd!"

Wrong crowd? As in Taffyta and the others?

The strawberry racer wrinkled her nose, Snake having absolutely no shame in trying to get Vanellope to go along with his plans once more. It wasn't as if HE were the one who started the entire mess, stealing Taffyta's car and leading them to the junkyard in the first place and NOW he was trying to play innocent? Especially with a kid he had only before tried to slice apart?

"Um, are ya sure that's a good idea?" Lumi said "I think I was better with Taffyta an'-!"

"Nonssssenccce!" Snake chirped, placing Lumi in front of Vanellope and beginning the stroll down the long palace halls "You need a fressssh sssstart here and what better way than to be with Vanellope! Sssshe will inform you of the TRUTH in thissss game more than thosssse _**OTHER**_ raccccers."

 _ **OTHER**_ racers?

It was a stigma the racers could no longer escape.

"Vanellope, wait up!" Ralph cried out as he followed the group, the other adults following suit until no one was left.

That is, with the exception of three racers who still stood in the middle of the throne room.

"Taffyta?" Candlehead meeped, seeing the look of annoyance on her friend's face.

"All that work…" the strawberry racer said "An' once again, Vanellope takes all the credit."

"Wait, we can't just leave him!" Candlehead squeaked, pulling Taffyta back "I mean, we should at least wait or-!"

"There's no point in it." The girl responded, looking uninterested and if anything, absolutely DEFEATED "Vanellope an' her squad have him now. Once they tell him tha story, he won't wanna bother with us."

Swizz sighed, agreeing with the girl "Man, an' I was hopin' we'd have a new friend or somethin'."

Taffyta had felt the same as well, at least in thinking that with the boy going along with them for the ride they'd have SOMEONE who'd at least know them for who they were, NOT for what the arcade WANTED THEM TO BE.

Her throat ached in anger, her eyes narrowed; the little Muttonfudge knew it was wrong to leave but she couldn't think. She needed a bit of peace to clear her mind and to at least come up with a good way of telling Lumi the racers' side of the story.

That was, if he would even want to be around them after he heard Vanellope's.

"I'm goin' home." Taffyta huffed, hands in her pocket and her gait slow "I don't need anymore of this."

Swizz parted ways as well, looking just as upset and downtrodden as the strawberry girl. And Candlehead?

Candlehead had ideas of her own.

She looked back at the castle, hearing the soft chatter of a few people echo off the walls. She knew she was taking a great chance on her own but she knew she had to do something of her own actions to show Lumi that the other racers were good and they meant no harm to him should be told something against them.

And what better way to show her care than with her favorite delight in the whole world?

She smiled and skipped off to her own home, Taffyta and Swizz looking on in confusion.

"What's got her so excited?"

* * *

"And as you can see…." Sour Billy droned on as he and the donut guards looked through the cameras, the four heroes looking on "No one has been around the code room in the last twenty-four hours."

"An' given tha amount of time between Pinkie getting' her kart snatched an' this kid comin' up." Calhoun thought to herself "There's no way that she cudda broke in, silenced tha alarm an' go back without a single one of us noticin'."

"So maybe she was tellin' tha truth." Ralph grumbled, feeling a mixture of relief but also little short-changed at the moment. He didn't want to admit it to the others but part of him had wanted Taffyta to be in the guilty party, if only to come to the simplest conclusion to it all.

"Still wish ya had told us 'bout tha alarm, honey." Felix sighed "But at least we know no one's been messin' with tha code room! Right, kid?"

Vanellope said nothing, sitting in the chair with a pout on her face.

"Kid?"

"I still don't trust him." She finally responded, shaking her head and glitching "Some new kid comes in that I don't recognize an' he keeps sayin' all this stuff that doesn't make sense. It doesn't sound right!"

"I'm with tha kid on this." Nodded Ralph as he looked at the couple "All'a this is too suspicious, especially after all the havoc that Turbo brought here. Who's ta say that tha kid isn't somethin' ol' Turbo concocted himself? I mean, he was able ta make a King Candy shell no prob so what's ta say he couldn't make his own racer?"

"That takes a LOTTA skill, Ralph. FAR too much credit you're lendin' over ta Turbo." Calhoun said "I can believe that he was able to make a shell. That's KID-STUFF! But a FULLY FUNCTIONAL character? One that has his entire code tied directly ta tha game?"

"But Sarge!"

"Sorry Ralph but tha data on tha monitor had everythin on it! It even showed the original make date of tha kid. Nineteen ninty-six, like everyone else here! He IS a part of the game!"

"Then why would Turbo just DUMP him like that?!" Ralph demanded, losing track of how upset he was becoming "Ya can't tell me for a second that he'd dump a racer like that, especially one of tha placeholders an'-!"

"Ralph!"

The man looked down, Felix staring up at him in astonishment.

"Did…did ya really just say PLACEHOLDER?"

Maybe Ralph hadn't heard himself in his anger, the man drawing in a quick breath as he came back to himself.

"I meant racer! Just-!"

Being called GLITCH had once been an insult but Ralph knew better, as Placeholder was the new word of the day for 'useless racer' and he himself had started to throw the term around without thought.

"I know you're doin' this because ya wanna keep Nelly safe."

Both racer and Wrecker looked up, Felix giving them concerned looks.

"An' I want Nelly ta be safe. We all do. But I don't wanna make that mistake again."

"What mistake, Felix?"

"I don't wanna make that mistake of lettin' someone who needs help DOWN. I don't wanna make that mistake of ignorin' problems right in my face an' I don't wanna make tha mistake by lettin' a whole new wave of HATE take over this place." The little man said "Turbo had his control over his game RIGHT UNDER MY nose an' I cudda help if I had known…"

"Felix, wait…" Vanellope said "Don't feel bad 'bout that. No one knew! I didn't know, Ralph didn't know-!"

"Yeah, but we shudda saw somethin'! It feels like it was right in our face!"

"We get it, Slim." Calhoun said as she drew her love closer, holding him tight. Billy and the donut cops turned their heads away, not wanting to be privy of the affection happening before them.

"Look, this is gonna sound crazy, I know….but I've been around games for thirty years. I know they can hide a lotta secrets tucked away so tha idea of this kid bein' somethin' unused? It makes PERFECT sense ta me!"

Ralph looked to the side "Okay, gotta point ta that."

"I guess….I guess he was just easier ta throw away if he wasn't finished." Vanellope said, thinking back "Turbo only took me out because I was tha Princess of tha game so it meant he could rule. Green-Boots doesn't even have a car so no wonder he just threw him out."

Calhoun scowled, her fist ITCHING to punch the grey-racer in the face.

"Unplugs characters, mind-erases kids, throws people away like their TRASH! Getting' blasted by light was too good for tha guy! He needed a GOOD thrashin' before bein' taken out if ya ask me!"

"Tammy, calm down."

"Okay, I'll give, um, Loomers? Loo...ney? I'll give tha kid a chance." Vanellope stated "But if he tries anythin' funny, he's goin' ta tha Fungeon."

"Sounds fair if ya ask me." Ralph agreed, looking at Felix "Don't ya think?"

"I hope it doesn't come ta that but yeah. We can't have real bad guys runnin' about."

"Speakin' of runnin'…." Calhoun looked about "Where is tha kid at?"

"Snake-Oil has him." The little racer replied, Felix's face going ashen.

" _ **HE**_ has him?!"

"Felix, don't worry! I trust Snaky!" the girl said "He's a little rough on tha edges, I know but-!"

The girl stopped herself, finding it difficult to find a fitting compliment to give the character. Suddenly the idea of letting Lumi stroll around with Snake was looking less and less bright by the second but she couldn't back out on her choice now.

"Heeeee's in good hands, I'm sure!"

* * *

"And thisss issss where the Presssssident resssidessss." Snake said, acting as tour guide for the young boy as he lead him down the halls "Assss you can ssssee, thissss exquissssite home hassss been programmed only for the besssst. No one elssse in Litwak's livessss in ssssuch a gloriousssly built place!"

Lumi had not heard a word the snake was going on about, his attention focused on the very structure of the castle itself. He was transfixed, amazed but had Snake or anyone else paid attention to him they would have seen the concern on his face as well.

The walls, the colors of the velvet drapes, even the style of the carpeting on the floor; it was all _**WRONG.**_

The boy continued to think to himself as Snake bragged on and on, as if he lived in the palace alongside Vanellope, the tour stretching on and on.

" _Where are tha pictures? Where is King Tobi? Queenie Milka? All those new pictures an'-!"_

"Boy?"

Lumi yelped, turning around to see Snake looking down at him.

"Are you alright, boy?"

The candy citizen in green looked nervously at Snake for a moment or two before running his fingers through his hair "Um, I'm fine! I'm cool, I'm fine! An'-!"

"Yessssss?"

Lumi was starting to regret not saying anything against being pulled away from the others. Even if the other candy racers were a little loopy, he felt far more comfortable in their presence than he did with Snake-Oil, even if the baddie put on his most plastic grin he could muster up.

"Um, it's Lumi. It-it's easier ta 'member than that massively long name'a mine!"

"Okay, Lumzee." Snake said, once more missing the child's name "Why don't I sssshow you Vanellope's trophy room?"

"Um, maybe we-?"

Before the boy could object he found himself PUSHED into the aforementioned trophy room and as soon as the glittering gold hit his eyes-

"Whoooooa….."

It felt as if all of this worries melted like chocolate. The beautifully decorated room was FILLED to the brim with trophies of various sizes, all neatly organized on shelves in a room that seemed to stretch out towards the heavens.

"There would be more…." Snake began "Had Turbo and thossse rotten racccers not gotten in her way."

Rotten racers?

The others?

Lumi stood up straight, trying to present himself as collected as possible before the snake.

"Um, yeah….about them."

"Vanellope issss catching up though." Snake continued, walking up to a massive first place trophy and taking it off the shelf "Who would have thought that ssshe would earn sssso much in ssssuch a sssshort time?"

"Y-Yeah, that's cool but-? But what happened again?"

"The raccccers were jealousss, of courssssse….." Snake sneered, the metal of the golden trophy squealing under his fingers "They were jealoussss becaussssse unlike Vanellope they're programmed for nothing!"

Was Snake aware that Lumi was also part of those 'other racers'? After all, it wasn't as if HE had been given a royal backstory.

"Hhmp, they try to deny it but I know the truth…." Snake continued, chuckling "I KNOW they let Turbo in. I know they let him take over the game becaussssse they are TALENTLESSSSS. They could never beat Vanellope back then and now? They all ressssort to CHEATING! No one can beat her GLITCH!"

"Cheating?"

Snake looked back, Lumi now poised at the door.

"How elsssse could they win at anything?" the Snake purred as he slithered up to Lumi "Esssspecially that Muttonsludge?"

Lumi's skin went cold as the snake continued to wrap himself around him.

"Don't trussst that white-haired BRAT. Sssshe wassss alwaysss Turbo'ssss favorite! The leasssst talented of them all! The BAD GUY?"

"Umph, bad guy?"

"Every game hassss one." Snake said, pride rising in his voice "I am one mysssself but as Ralph hassss proved, bad guysssss no longer exissst to be walked on. But SSSSSOME bad guyssss? We can make EXCEPTIONSSSSS."

Lumi finally squirmed his way free, smiling nervously towards the snake "Well-! Er, d-don't worry about that with me! I-I can handle myself against-!"

"Ya know ssssomething, Luner."

"L-Lumi."

"You're DIFFERENT." Snake began "You're not like thossssse other cavitiessss. I can tell that you're going to be a GREAT friend of Vanellope and USSSS."

"R-Really?"

"Of coursssse!" Snake hissed, his smile growing wider "Jussst sssstick with ussss and you'll be on top of all thosssse other wasssste of sssspacesss!"

This wasn't sitting well with the boy because no matter how many ways Snake tried to paint it, no matter how many times he tried to dance around it, Lumi was STILL part of those 'other waste of spaces'. He _**WAS**_ one of the non-royal candy racers but there was something more to it. Even if what Snake had said was true, it just didn't sit well with him.

It had to be Candlehead, the way that she had treated him when he was brought online.

Even if Taffyta and Swizz had chased him when he made his 'daring' escape, Candlehead was the only one who seemed to TRUST him. She was the only one who didn't treat Lumi like a threat.

And the flip Snake had done, going from vicious to valiant, as if he stood by Lumi's side the whole time and was the one who vouched for him.

No….it was those 'horrible waste of spaces' that had done that. So why was he still allowing himself to stay in Snake-Oil's company.

"I really do hope you help cheer Vanellope on when sssshe racessss…." Snake said, putting a clamy hand on Lumi's shoulder "Sssshe needssss all the help and ssssupport ssssshe can get from thossssse bulliessss."

"Um…okay…." Lumi said nervously "I-I guess I can help."

"Great!" Snake said as he led the boy away from the room "The more, the merrier! That'ssss what I've ALWAYSSSS ssssaid!"

The boy in green only responded with a nod, his gut telling him to keep his mind and wits about him around the snake.

"Um, there's somethin' I need ta ask."

"Yesssss?"

"I don't have a home anywhere." The boy began "Where can I stay?"

"Hmmm, we can assssk the Pressssident if you can bunk here for the time being…." Snake said, rubbing his lip "I know there are plenty of guessst roomssss ssssso sssshe'd have no problem with it!"

At least there was some place he could stay, the boy thought to himself but as he moved further down the hall a sight caught his attention.

"Oh!"

"What issss it?"

The boy dashed to the window and looked out, seeing Candlehead skipping her way up the path.

"Ah, C-Butt!" the boy said happily, relieved to see another racer approaching.

He had forgotten his previous attempts to keep Snake's suspicious at bay but luckily enough, Snake was too occupied with his own thoughts and plans to worry about Lumi's excitement to see a racer he had previously branded an enemy.

"Candlehead?" the Snake hissed, going to the window and seeing the girl getting closer, spying the basket in her hand "I guess sssshe thought it would be better to come and try to appologizzze for causssing so much trouble?"

Again, Lumi held his tongue; if there was anyone who caused a lot of trouble it was SNAKE.

"I'll go talk to her!" the boy said as be bounded off, wanting to get away from the creature as soon as possible "An' she doesn't look upset so-!"

"We can both meet her." Snake said, Lumi stopping in his tracks.

Was this bag-of-scales going to follow him wherever he went? It wasn't that long ago that Snake wanted Lumi OUT of the game but now he seemed to refuse to leave his side!

"O-Okay…if you think that's a good idea."

The two made their way down the stairs just as Candlehead arrived at the front door. She knocked, grinning from ear to ear as a wonderfully decorated basket was clutched in her hands. Lumi quickly opened the door and jumped out, his eyes looking around nervously.

"CANDLEHEAD!"

"Hello, Lumi!" the girl waved, her voice fluttering like the wings of a butterfly "How are ya right now?"

"Er, could be better. A LOT better."

"Ooooh, I'm sorry." The girl whimpered "I hope this isn't because of how me an' tha others went all crazy on ya when we popped outta your box."

"No, no, no, no, no! It isn't! I promise!" the boy blurted out "I just-! Um, I just was so super excited when everythin' started ta happen! I, well, I didn't know what ta do!"

Candlehead's smile slowly returned, her eyes glowing "Okay! As long as I didn't do anythin' ta hurt your feelin's!"

"No…." Lumi responded, crestfallen "No, ya didn't."

"I got ya somethin'."

Lumi blinked, noticing the basket again.

"Whenever a new game comes here, I ALWAYS give 'em a welcome basket!"

"Ya do?" the boy asked. The girl nodded, her pigtail going everywhere.

"Yup! Ever since we got here! King Candy didn't really like it even I always managed ta sneak out an' give everyone a basketful of sweets n' treats!"

Once again, the man called King Candy was mentioned and once again Lumi found himself lost to what and who this person was. In his mind there was only ONE true king of Sugar Rush but no one believed him. Would ANYONE believe him?

"An' I know this isn't a new game or anythin' but YOU'RE new here so here's your gifts!"

"W-Wow…." Lumi blushed, surprised to see the basket of goodies, their contents looking simply DELECTIBLE "Y-ya didn't hafta do this, C-Butt."

"Yes, I did!" the girl giggled "Just somethin' ta make everyone feel welcome!"

Lumi was getting lost in his thoughts, Candlehead's kindness once more bringing about a string of memories and tales that he were certain were real in his mind but the outer surface of the game were proving impossible to exist. More than that, Candlehead's behavior towards him was going against everything that Snake had warned him against the other racers. From the way the creature had described anyone outside of Vanellope, the other racers were MONSTERS, completely incapable of understanding an outside, of anyone who did not match up to their levels.

But Candlehead was acting completely against that, providing the warmth that Lumi had wanted and at the moment NEEDED. Snake simply pulled the boy along, his voice nice enough but it was clear from his mannerisms he still EXPECTED the boy to go along with him and to ACCEPT his side of the story with no questions.

Candlehead was giving him a release, a feeling that even if he were still lost in a game that he was proven to belong to there were people around who wanted him.

"Thanks…."

"Huh?"

Candlehead looked up, Lumi smiling at her.

"Thanks, C-Butt! This looks GREAT!" the boy said. Candlehead laughed again, her cheeks blushing.

"Daaaw, ya don't hafta be that way!" she laughed goofily, flicking her hand about "It's just that I-!"

"It's jusssst that YOU'RE-!"

In a moment darkness fell over the two racers, Lumi feeling his heart freeze in place once he remembered that he was indeed with Snake the whole time. He managed to look up in time but the creature was far too swift, the only sight in his eyes being Snake's evil grin as he took ahold of Lumi's hands-

"WAIT!"

By now it was far too late to fight back, the Snake's strong grip CRUSHING the boy's hand as he felt his arms lift up-!

" _ **-NOT WELCOME HERE, PLACE HOLDER!"**_

And before Lumi knew what had happened, the basket of Candlehead's goodies were SMASHED upon her head! The girl gave a cry out as she felt the basket crunch and break around her upper body, cream, icing, and the other contents smashing against her. Lumi opened his eyes, seeing the girl fall onto the ground in a complete heap of a mess but he couldn't say anything, he couldn't even scream. What he COULD hear however were Snake's cold cackles, the creature finally letting him go as he laughed at the sight of the messy racer.

"That'll teach you to come where you're not wanted!" Snake hissed and laughed, patting Lumi on the back in triumph.

What had happened? What was going on?

"Thissss isssss how we treat placccce holderssss around here." Snake said, almost as if he were PROUD of Lumi "Howssss it feel to take care of your firsssst one?"

Lumi said nothing, still far too shocked at what was going on to hear the Snake. And then Candlehead looked at him.

He could see her eyes through the cream and the broken wooden splinters, asking him what he had done. The boy shook, a choked gurgle the only thing escaping his throat.

"Let'sssss go." Snake said as he waved his hands back towards the boy "I'm sssssure Vanellope will be pleassssed to-!"

Snake looked back but in the place of the racers….

"Huh?"

Was just a pile of cream.

* * *

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm SORRY!" Lumi stammered as he rushed Candlehead down the trail, looking back ever second to make sure that Snake and his cohorts were not following him "I-! I didn't want to hurt ya! I didn't know he was gonna-!"

The boy panted in fear, his heart racing. How could he tell Candlehead what he meant after what he had done to her? She hadn't spoken a word since the two made their escape and it only served in making Lumi feel worse. What if she never forgave him, what if she saw him just as another creep like Snake? He knew he felt bad around the creature but he did not expected to be used in such a way!

"Candlehead-!" the boy choked, feeling tears coming down his face "I'm sorry! Please don't be mad at me! I didn't wanna mess up your cakes or-!"

"Oh, ya didn't mess 'em up!"

Lumi's eyes shot open, startled to see Candlehead SMILING. She took a big dollop of thick icing off her head and placed it in her mouth, the flavor hitting her like the bountiful rays of the sun.

"Mmmm! This was my best batch of triple-thick whipped mint-chip icin' YET!" the girl said, almost as if nothing had happened "Ya see, tha trick is ta whip it RIGHT but not get TOO much air in it so-!"

"Wait, wait, WAAAAIT!" Lumi cried out, waving his hands "Why-? Why aren't ya mad at me?"

"I'm SUPPOSED ta be mad at ya?" Candlehead said, this time reaching for a chunk of cake and chomping it without so much as a care "Um, why? Ya didn't do anythin'."

"Yes, I did!" Lumi shouted out again, looking at his hands "I-! I ruined your cakes! Everythin'! I got ya all messed up because of-!"

"Snake?" Candlehead piped in, taking a cookie into her maw "Oh, yeah. That guy. He's always like that."

Lumi was stunned, surprised that the girl was taking to the situation as calmly as she was.

"When Snaky first came here when Vanellope came back, I tried ta give him a basket but he did tha same thing."

" _ **WHAT?!"**_

"Yup." Candlehead replied, finally finishing off the contents "Aaah. I just figured it was because I didn't get tha right stuff for him tha first time but he kept doin' that so I guess I still need ta know what sweets he likes an'-!"

Before the girl could finish, Lumi took her by the hand and led her down the path.

"Ah, Lumi?"

"Where does Taffyta live?"

* * *

"AUUUURGH! I can't believe it!" Taffyta growled as she give a pillow a good kick, sending it crashing right into an unperturbed Swizz "After all we went through, after all we did! What happens?! Vanellope sweeps up another one!"

"Taaaaaaaaaaff…."

"I can't stand this, I just can't!" the pink girl continued to fuss, her face turning red "I'm sick of all'a this, Swizz! I really am! An' I know that Snake-Drool guy is only gonna fill that Lumi-Kid's head with us bein' bad an' blah blah an' before ya know it, he's gonna be on our butts too!"

"Give him some credit, Taffyta." Swizz said as he got up, placing the pillow back on the seat "I…I kinda got a feelin' that kid is smarter than that. He may be able to give Snake the shake off."

"IF we're lucky." Taffyta moaned, rubbing her forehead "But knowin' our luck, we just released another member for Vanellope's cheerleadin' squad."

Even Swizz had to look down in disappointment at the statement as despite his own attitude towards the whole situation, he had hoped that by any chance Lumi would be someone who could at least help the racers prove their mark in the game. His very existence was enough to tell the tech-boy that there was still so much within their own game yet to be found but now that he had been taken under the wings by the very group who sought to make their lives MISERABLE.

"Aye, aye, ayyyyyyye….."

"Rugh, I should just give up." Taffyta said, flopping on the tiny couch in her cramped living room "What's the point of even tryin' ta be somethin' good when no one is gonna believe ya?"

Swizz knew Taffyta wasn't one for giving up so quickly but even he did not know what to say. All he could do was clutch onto another pillow, finding his own genius could not solve this problem.

 _ **KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!**_

Taffyta jolted up, worried that Vanellope had arrived with her fans in tow but once she saw the figures outside the little window.

"Is that-?"

She rushed to the door, opening it to find an exhausted looking Lumi and a cake-covered Candlehead before her.

"C-BUTT!" the girl gasped, pulling her friend in with such force that Lumi fell forward onto the ground.

"OW."

"Candles, what happened?!" Swizz jumped up, rushing to help the girl.

"Yeah, I'm just fine. Thank you…."

"Your basket! Your face!" Taffyta cried out "Ya look like you've been in a fight!"

"She was….kinda."

The other two looked down, Lumi getting on his feet as he brushed himself off.

"Wait, what are YOU doin' here?" Taffyta glowered, not at all taking well to seeing Lumi "I thought ya were back with Vanellope an' Snake!"

"I was…." The boy said in a gruff voice as he shut the door, leading Candlehead further into the strawberry racer's cottage "But I had ta get outta there…"

Taffyta squeaked, unprepared for the reply. She watched Lumi make his way through her home, getting a damp dishcloth to clean the cake-themed girl off. Much to her surprise, the boy began to help Candlehead get clean, removing the broken basket and wiping the cream and cake crumbs off her face. Swizz glanced over towards her, his look telling her that she had been proving wrong in her judgements as what type of person who had abandoned as she claimed would come back and HELP?

The girl in pink tip-toed towards the boy, slowly looking at him.

"Lumi? That's your name, right?"

"Yeah." The boy said, no longer expecting Taffyta to remember anything about him.

"Why'd ya come back?"

For a moment, the boy did not respond. He pretended to look over Candlehead again but he knew he wouldn't be able to keep his mouth shut for long.

"Lumi?"

"Taff?" the boy said, turning around "What happened here?"

"H-Huh?"

"Snake-Boil said somethin' about a King Candy, a Turbo. How ya guys did somethin' awful ta Vanellope?"

Taffyta's skin flushed red, goose-bumps raising "Did….did ya believe it?"

"I just wanna know." The boy said "I wanna know what happened here. I wanna know what happened while I was asleep."

"Would it make any difference if we told ya?" the girl responded, arching a brow "If we told ya EVERYTHING. Would ya hate us? Would ya go back ta tha Castle an' go back ta Vanellope where everyone WANTS ya?"

The boy looked at Candlehead, his hands still shaking at the action he had partaken in to hurt her. Even if things were different in the arcade than what the story of the game told, he knew nothing could justify what Snake had done. He gave Taffyta another look, telling her that he would at least listen, no matter how bad it was.

She sighed, sitting down on the couch and looking away in shame.

"Alright. Sit down for this one because it's quite tha story…."


	10. Chapter Nine- The Glitch Stitch

Chapter 9: The Glitch Stitch

Even with Candlehead now all cleaned up as best as possible, the guilt inside Lumi was still eating him up more so than ants at a melted marshmallow mansion. Candlehead wasn't a pushover and she certainly didn't let anyone take advantage of her, if she realized it, but the way she was so sincere and calm about how both Lumi and Snake-Oil had dumped her welcome basket on her?

He still questioned how she could be so sweet about it. Wasn't she mad, even a LITTLE upset from being humiliated in such a way right before the grand candy castle?

The boy was still shaking from the shock of it all but he attempted to himself comfortable in Taffyta's cramped living room, an arduous task as it was.

" _Tha Muttonfudges moved outta their place for this?"_ the boy thought to himself _"There isn't enough room for us, let alone tha parents!"_

"Sorry about the lack of space…" the strawberry girl piped in as she walked into the living room, flopping on the couch "I guess the designers of this place didn't think we deserved the lap of luxury like the Princess."

Taffyta rolled her eyes, placing a hand towards her lips as she feigned concerned.

"Oops, I meant PRESIDENT."

Lumi remained silent. He felt that something was off and he KNEW that something was off but given the events that had just taken place?

"'Member when King Candy said these were tha best he could do for us?" remarked Swizzle, snickering "Now that I look back at it, tha guy hailed himself as some top hacker yet he couldn't even mod a simple cottage? Pfft, who was tha one who was able ta make Gloyd's place NEON PINK for a week?"

There was that name again; King Candy. It was certainly a name Lumi kept hearing but it was someone he didn't KNOW. He had so many questions than answers that his head was spinning faster than a wheel on a kart.

"Uh, guys?"

The two racers peered at Lumi, the boy fidgeting nervously.

"I-I don't mean ta pry in an' all that but….?"

Lumi wanted his questions answered but the more and more he thought about it, the more nervous he became. Perhaps it was the way he had been 'welcomed' into the game that had done it but part of his thirst for answers was starting to dry, mostly due to his own worry if Taffyta even trusted him anymore. After all, it was partly his fault that Candlehead had ended up in such a mess.

The girl in pink looked at the boy, his head lowered and his hands clenched tightly together. It was clear he was very worried and given the events she already knew what of. She glanced at Swizzle, the boy giving her a pout as it was clear that in order for things to come together they would have to start at the beginning.

"I think ta get you up ta speed, ya need to know what year it is." Taffyta began, folding her arms against her chest. Lumi looked at her with hopeful eyes; perhaps this King Candy person had only taken over the game for a few months at least.

After all, how long could someone really hold over a game?

Taffyta ran her fingers through her hair gracefully "Hate ta break it to ya, but this ain't the nineties anymore."

"I-It's not?" stammered the new boy "Then what-?"

"Think….early twenty-thirteen." Swizz quipped, the boy giving him a confused look "As in two-thousand an' thirteen!"

Had Lumi not been sitting down he would have clearly ROCKETED through the roof. The make date of the game was etched into the very core of his code but had it really been that long? Lumi couldn't even correctly put the numbers together but he KNEW the time that had passed was ENORMOUS. Taffyta could see his eyes twitching, his body shaking, and his jaw slacked; he couldn't figure out what to say.

"Ya okay?"

"I-I've been in tha dump th-that long?!" the boy finally gasped, his voice raspy.

"I guess." Swizz shrugged "I mean, maybe Turbo had ya stored up in tha castle for a while before he took ya ta tha dump? Who knows? He never allowed ANY of us near a lotta places in tha castle, it was ALWAYS off limits!"

"B-But why?!" Lumi begged, looking over at Taffyta in desperation "I-! Ya told me I'm not a full asset or code or WHATEVER ya said I was but-! But why would he-?!"

Taffyta scrunched up in her little seat as her mind flashed back to the events in a more vivid manner.

"Knowin' him, he had his reasons." She growled "An' his name wasn't King Candy. At least not his PROGRAMED name anyway."

"Then?" gulped the gummie boy

"Turbo…" Taffyta responded, her voice coming out so low that it make Lumi's skin shiver.

" _Excuse me?"_

"His name was Turbo." Swizz picked up "Tha supposed 'Greatest Racer that Ever Lived' or somethin' like that. It was way before our time, like a bajillion years!"

"Wow, there were games a bajillion years ago?" Lumi asked.

"Yeah!" nodded Swizz "An' Turbo was with those old games!"

"But-! But what does this hafta do with US? YOU?" the boy in green corrected himself as he looked at Taffyta. The girl did not respond, her body still curled up as she glared angrily at nothing, her cheeks burning red.

Whatever had happened, it was only going to get worse.

"He just did a lotta bad things ta people, even before he came here." Swizz said "A lotta bad things that a lotta people still don't wanna talk about, even now."

Lumi could only imagine the horrors that this Turbo character could inflict on the residence of the arcade and if they were so terrible that even the toughest, biggest hero couldn't break through to speak about it what did that make of the others in the sugar-coated racing game.

A heavy darkness was shared between the three racers, each one having their own reasons and fear to go silent on the mentions of Turbo but, thankfully, there was a spark of brightness that broke through the cloud.

A bright pink tray with four LARGE cups of warm cocoa was placed upon the smaller coffee table, the one carrying them none other than Candlehead.

"Ta-dah!" she beamed, her smile powerful enough to charge the entire arcade.

The smells of her labor filled the room with a warmth that brought everyone to their senses. Lumi's mouth already began to water as he looked at the swirling mixture of pure, fine chocolate and cream with heaping piles of perfectly melted marshmallows and gently applied sprinkles on top.

"Four of tha finest Choco-Motivators in tha land!" the girl giggled to herself, clapping her hands "Fit for a King! I mean- Queen! I mean-!"

Swizz gave a chuckle as he patted the racer on the back and reached for his cup "It's fine C-butt, we get what ya mean."

Lumi smiled sheepishly, keeping his eyes upon Candlehead before taking a sip of the warm liquid. As soon as the substance touched his tongue he knew he had entered heaven, the sweetness of the coco instantly flinging him out of his grey mood and into a spot where he found he could not stop smiling.

For the first time since he had been activated, Lumi felt HAPPY.

"From what I know…" Taffyta continued, pausing to take a sip from the mug, "Turbo was always causin' trouble for a lot of people. Actin' like he ruled tha arcade an' pushed everyone around."

"Did ya see this yourselves?" asked Lumi, Candlehead shaking her head no.

"Nope, nope, nope! It was so long ago! We heard alla' this from Mr. Fix-it-Felix Jr. an' Mr. Wreck-it-Ralph!"

"Was that-? Was that tha guy who shook my hand?"

"Yeah, that was Mr. Felix." Said Swizz "He knew Turbo tha best back then but anythin' we've heard about him from Mr. Pink-Nose? He tries ta sugar-coat it but it's never been good."

"Wow…." Lumi said "An' he seems so nice. Even he couldn't say anythin' good about this Turbo guy?"

Taffyta's hands were shaking in anger as she put her mug down upon the table hard, the others jumping as they turned their focus on her.

"Would YOU have anythin' good ta say 'bout someone who HIJACKED a game?!"

"Hi-Hijacked?" gulped Lumi "So you're tellin' me he-!"

"Some dusty ol' game called Road Bombers or Road Smashers or-!"

"Roadblasters." Swizz corrected "Tha game was called ROADBLASTERS, Taff."

"Whatever it was called, Turbo game-jumps into that place an' messes it up! Tha whole game goes down an' everyone thinks that he bit tha dust!"

"Wait." Lumi said "Did this happen before all'a us?"

The three friends nodded their heads, Lumi feeling more confused than ever.

"Then…how did he get here? I mean, if this Roadblaster game was ruined an' taken out before we came in then how-?"

"We don't know…."

Lumi turned over to Candlehead, the girl's head lowered and the flame on her wick so small it had nearly gone out.

"C-Candles?"

"We…we just don't know." The girl continued, her voice thin and weak "Even after all tha stuff that Mrs Fix-it-Felix Jr. Sargent Tamera Jean-!"

"CANDLEHEAD."

"After everythin' tha Sargent lady did ta scan over this place, no one was able ta find out what happened. All we know is that…that…."

The room went silent again, Lumi seeing the three racers looking as if they were struggling to recollect everything that had happened but nothing could come up. It was almost as if they were in pain, memories still blocked by something they could not combat. It was a scary sight for the boy to see, three of his so-called fellow racers reacting as if something were burning and destroying their code from the very core.

"G-Guys?"

Taffyta pressed her hands against her temple, fighting to bring everything back, fighting with herself to remember.

"We just-! We just-!"

Lumi nearly lost the grip on his cup; was this what Turbo had done to the game?

"No one knows the story! We don't!" cried the girl in pink "We just-! We just remember comin' too!"

"F-from what?!"

"NOTHIN'!" Taffyta screamed "We just remember comin' too an' Vanellope was back an' we just remember we bullied her an'-!"

"STOOOOOP!"

Taffyta gasped, nearly falling onto the ground as she looked up, Lumi looking over at her with eyes as wide as dinner plates. He gulped back again, getting on wobbling legs.

"What….what does Vanellope hafta do with this? Did…did she did somethin' with this Turbo? An' what do ya mean ya BULLIED her?"

This was the moment of pure dread for all the racers, the moment they would have to face the truth in front of the boy they had brought to life. Of them all, Taffyta had feared it the most as she knew it meant she would have to confront her own past but if she wanted things to change, if she wanted to prove herself not only to Lumi bt to the entire arcade that she was not the brat that they WANTED her to be….

She would have to tell the truth.

"Pesto."

"Lumi."

"Lumi….if ya knew tha truth? Would ya hate us?"

"What do ya mean, Taff?"

"Things changed a LOT when Turbo got his hands on tha game's code." The girl continued "Whatever ya remember or whatever ya got runnin' through your head. None of that matters because if never existed."

"Huh?" the boy asked, hands nervously shaking "What do ya mean it doesn't matter? Of course it does! It's our stories! It's OUR-!"

"We never had a story!" Taffyta roared out "All we were-?! We were just King Candy's BRATS!"

"Wh-what?"

"Yeah, that's it!" Taffyta said angrily, her hand gripping onto the side of the seat "For years an' years, Turbo made us believe he was King Candy! He dotted on us, he told us that he LOVED us an' in return all we had ta do was keep THA GLITCH out!"

"Tha…tha glitch?"

"Vanellope." Taffyta said in a cold tone "Vanellope Von Schweetz."

Lumi felt himself going backwards, things slowly coming together.

"When Turbo snuck in here, he did some rewirin' ta tha whole place." Taffyta went on "Changed tha landscape, locked our memories up so all we could remember was HIM but most of all, he tried ta erase Vanellope so HE could be ruler."

"He-?! He did?!"

"Yup." Taffyta nodded "But I guess somethin' happened an' no matter what he did, he couldn't eraser but he did damage her code."

"That's because he had no full access ta tha main core itself." Swizz jumped in, going into full geek mode "He was an outside factor an' even though he was able ta play around with a few things, like makin' that suit outta who knew what, he had no access ta tha-!"

"Swizz, we get it! But no one cares about that!" shouted Taffyta "No one cares what Turbo did! All that matters is what WE did!"

"An' what did ya do?" Lumi asked again, Taffyta growling.

"Do I need ta repeat it?! We bullied Vanellope! We kept her off tha track like Turbo wanted us ta an-!"

The girl in pink had to stop, burying her face in her hands.

"That's all. That's all we did." She groaned "We can never forget it, no matter how much we want ta but that's all everyone reminds us of. That we bullied Vanellope, that we bullied Vanellope, THAT WE BULLIED VANELLOPE!"

Everyone in the room jumped back at how loud Taffyta had gotten, the girl clearly furious.

"They won't shut up! They won't stop! Ever since Perfect President Vanellope got back into power they won't stop!"

"W-Won't stop what?"

"They won't _**LEAVE US ALONE!**_ " Taffyta shouted out again, using everything she had from tearing up the room "An' that Snake guy! HE-! UUUUUURGH!"

Lumi felt his heart skip a beat; Snake-Oil? From the sound of things, he was starting to sound just as bad as Turbo.

"Things felt like they were gonna get back ta normal…." Taffyta began, finally calming down if only a smidge "But once word of Vanellope's story got out more an' more people started ta flood tha game an' not for tha good of things."

"Yup." Swizz nodded "We all thought more people were comin' in ta watch us race an' for a while they did. It was cool havin' so many people from different games comin' in ta watch but then-"

"But then…"

"But then?"

"THEY started ta come in." Taffyta snorted "It was just like a trickle. Like when ya have a small hole in your honey pot an' at first it's not a big problem? But then ya have a WHOLE puddle of stick goo ya gotta clean up but in this case, no one wants ta clean this up! They only wanna add ta it!"

Lumi looked about nervously "But…but have ya told Vanellope about this? I mean, seein' as she's Princess or whatever she calls herself now, she'd-!"

The others glared at the boy, darkness in their eyes.

"Do ya really think-?" Taffyta said, sarcasm dancing on her tongue "Candlehead wudda ended up covered in cake-smash had Vanellope done somethin'?"

The boy in green bit his lip, his answer received in full.

"Those creeps just love ta come in here an' make us MISERABLE!" the girl said "Any place they can go, anywhere! They'll hunt us all down ta mess up somethin' we love, somethin' we do, or whatever!"

"Like tha time they went ta Crumbellina's tennis practice." Said Swizz "Snake brought over an entire army of people ta boo her an' throw stuff on tha court an' scare her fans away. By tha time they were done, Crumble had just walked off and Snake was laughin' tha whole time."

"Or when they spray painted Recolor Ree-Ree on Citrusella's kart!" Taffyta said "An' they act like sayin' GLITCH is a bad word! They didn't have trouble sprayin' THAT for everyone ta see!"

"Or when they said Gloyd was-!"

"Or when they told Snowanna she-!"

"Or when they gave Sakura a-!"

The more Lumi heard, the more horrified and DISGUSTED he became. While he had seen Snake's actions in full force he could not believe just how far so many people had taken their acts upon the other racers and had done nothing to combat it. While he could understand that the past actions of the racers were not right against Vanellope, the fact that she was doing NOTHING to stop even more destruction to happen within the game was mind-boggling.

The boy listened in as the other three continued to list off the events and actions that had been cast against them by Vanellope's new-found 'friends' each one sounding worse than the last. He was starting to wonder, had he actually been implemented would the same acts of revenge be thrown against him?

He didn't HAVE to think about that, given how Snake had treated him BEFORE he tried to take him under his coils.

Lumi turned, Candlehead having gone silent as she sat sadly close to him.

"C-Butt?"

"Do ya see now?" the girl sniffled.

"H-Huh?"

"Do ya see everythin' now?" the girl whimpered as she looked up at the boy "All tha things we did ta Vanellope. If ya had known that…would ya still be our friends? Would-? Would ya think we're good? Do ya think we could be good?"

Lumi again found that he could not speak, the effort made even harder with the look Candlehead was giving him.

The racers had told him the truth, had told him EVERYTHING, and he could not argue that what had happened was terrible but things felt so imbalanced, especially with his own encounters with Vanellope. Turbo seemed to be the root cause of everything that had happened and even if he were gone it felt as if those who followed the Princess were laying blame on ALL the events on the racers and the racers alone, as if they were trying to evade their own secrets, secrets that could connect them with the big man himself.

None of it felt right, even as much as it contradicted with his own memories that the others were incapable of sharing. Lumi was starting to understand what was going on but he dare not say it, his own fear holding him back. He looked at the trio, their figures grey, depressed, and all out drained from everything they had to put up with. Even if they had bullied Vanellope in the past, the idea of an entire arcade ganging up on them did not seem fair and the idea that Vanellope, the leader that he was supposed to look up to, seemed to be turning a blind eye to it all only made him ANGRIER.

There was no way in the code void that she could have been THIS oblivious to what was going on. There was no way she could not have known how Snake was treating the racers and the other candy citizens. She was the ruler of the game, her eyes were meant to be everywhere, to care for the citizens but as he remembered how full her trophy room was he began to suspect that there was only one thing on Vanellope's mind.

Winning.

Not the racers but winning.

Lumi could only imagine how Vanellope had been treated during the reign of the so-called king named Candy but he could not erase the moment that he was forced to partake in the utter humiliation of Candlehead. He looked at her again, the girl so weighed with guilt that her candle dropped over, the fire having long since died out.

"I know what I did ta Vanellope was bad." The cake-girl said "So maybe….maybe ya should go back with her."

Lumi was flabbergasted at the thought "Why?"

"Because she's better than us?" the girl sniffled "She can race better, she has a better home an' she has better friends. Tha game was made for her an' no one else. We're just…we're just placeholders."

At that moment it seemed that both Taffyta and Lumi's minds aligned, both children rocked to hear Candlehead say such low things about herself without hesitation. Had things really come to this, that one-by-one the racers were going to accept that they could not be anything BUT what Vanellope and her friends labeled them as?

Taffyta felt like turning into a Wrecker herself and destroying the entire candy castle with Vanellope's lot inside while Lumi-?

He still had other thoughts going in his head, thoughts free of snakes and other bad guys, thoughts he wanted to share with the other racers because….

Because….

"Nah, I'm stayin' here."

The trio looked up, surprised that the boy was now smiling.

"Ol' Von Sheet-Cake's too fakey-fancy for me. Plus her company gives me a rash." The boy chuckled as he looked at the others.

"But we're bullies remember?" Taffyta snorted, a little smirk appearing on her face "I don't think ya wanna hang out with us."

"Bullies?" Lumi smiled "Seen worse, been around worst."

"How so?" Taffyta asked "You've been in that box an'-?"

"I just saw a bully who took tha cake, okay?" Lumi replied "An' I would rather hang 'round people closer ta my speed if ya think that's okay."

"'Ey now. I'm all up for lettin' ya stay but it's not gonna be a permanent thing, okay?" Taffyta said, walking up to Lumi and giving him a hard poke on his nose "This is a cottage for one, not a hotel!"

"I get it, I get it!" the boy joked "Geeze, even if things have changed ya still got that Muttonfudge sass 'bout ya!"

The girl turned, folding a bit in shame "Don't you mean 'rottenness' or whatever?"

"Nope. Pure strawberry sass." Lumi grinned, his teeth gleaming "A sass that needs ta be restored here if ya ask me. It would sure make Snake an' his squad coil back, just tha thing they need!"

As strange as everything had become in the sweet racing game, the four racers were starting to feel at home but there was something odd about the exchange. Taffyta felt something resonate within her from Lumi's comment but she couldn't pin-point where it had come from. There was but a small bit, a small feeling of comfort in herself as she joked with the boy that she could never achieve when she was surrounded by Vanellope and her new entourage.

Around them, she felt that she could never be herself in fear of catching the wrath of someone who kept close around the vanilla racer and it was a shared feeling between all the racers. She may have given Lumi part of the cake but there was still so much she withheld, still so much he did not understand but as things were starting to settle in the little cottage Taffyta could feel some much needed calm surrounded them.

Everyone felt….HAPPY.

There was so much going on but for once they felt HAPPY, because they could actually talk with each other and not worry about being called bullies and being forced to accept it. Suddenly, Taffyta was HAPPY that she had gotten the box out of the junkyard if only to know that within it was someone who accepted her and the other racers for who they were, chips and all.

Night fell upon Sugar Rush, the four racers residing within Taffyta's cottage for slumber. Even if the lodgings were small Lumi felt some comfort being surrounded by other racers, satisfied that he had made the choice to stay with them rather than in the candy castle.

" _This isn't the studio though. An' tha café? Where is it? I gotta good look at the place when I was being chased by that Snake-faced creep but I didn't see any of it! Was this what Swizz was talkin' 'bout when he said that King Candy doof had changed everythin'?"_

Lumi's mind continued to ask questions right up to the moment where he fell asleep. He didn't know how long he had dozed off but the sound of sugar-laced chirping filled his ears.

" _Mmm?"_

"Oh, how long did we sleep?"

Sleep still in his eyes, Lumi looked over to see the others getting ready, the trio helping each other roll up the blankets and put the pillows away.

"We got an hours." Swizz said as he looked at the clock on the wall "Think ya can whip us up somethin' ta eat, Candlehead?"

"On it!" the girl beamed as she bounced off to the kitchen.

"H-Hey, what's goin' on?" Lumi yawned.

"Race day." Taffyta said, putting a hand on the boy's head "We all got on tha roster so we're on call."

"Oh, NEAT!" the boy smiled "Think I can come with ya?"

Taffyta and Swizzle fell silent again, worry crossing their faces.

"Think that's a good idea, Taff?" asked Swizz, the girl pondering the thought.

It wasn't like Lumi had been seen by ALL of the racer so his appearance at the gate would be a big surprise for the rest of the gang; that was if Snake and his followers hadn't blabbered on about it beforehand. And who knew how Vanellope was going to react as well if she saw the boy again considering the two hadn't parted on friendly terms.

"Taffyta?"

"Ya know what?" the girl said "Come with us."

"Really?" Lumi said, his eyes brightening.

"I don't see why not." The pink girl huffed "We already know you're not gonna hurt us but ta keep things low, try not ta sit with tha candy crowds. Ya don't wanna get spotted by tha players."

Lumi nodded in agreement and after a quick and delicious breakfast, courtesy of Candlehead, the four made their way to the tracks, Lumi riding on the back of Candlehead's kart.

" _Didn't she say she couldn't drive? She's handlein' tha road just fine ta me!"_

"C-Butt, slow it down." Taffyta said, signaling the other three to turn the corner. In formation they drove behind one of the further placed garages, Taffyta scanning the area.

"What's up, Taffy?"

"We're lucky this is tha main game-play rather than a random roster race." She said "No outsiders, just our normal crew but we still need ta be cautious."

"Wait, I know where I can go!" Lumi said, the others looking at him once more "Near tha grand-stands opposite of tha jumbo-tron! There's a blind spot that ya can't see while drivin' but if ya sit there, ya can get a view of EVERYONE!"

Again the racers were astounded by how CORRECT the boy was. How did he know of the blind-spot? Before any more questions could be asked he took off, carefully making sure that no one spotted him.

"Lumi! WAIT!" Candlehead cried out but the boy gave her a wave.

"Don't worry about me! I'll see ya once tha games are over!"

Lumi had a lot of enthusiasm and hopefully it would help him should he get into trouble. Candlehead looked over to her friend, eyebrows creased in worry.

"Think he can handle it?"

Taffyta wasn't too sure herself but the way Lumi had darted away from them gave her a feeling that he knew EXACTLY where he was headed. Perhaps the boy had more connection the vast game than she had given him credit for. She was nervous but she knew she couldn't say much, not with the current heat of the kingdom anyway.

"Just keep your eyes peeled." She told Candlehead, ducking low as not to garner the attention of the others "Just…keep your eyes peeled."

By the time the trio had made it to the track everyone else was already showing up and raring to get into gear. The stragglers from the previous night's race had found themselves placed towards the rear end which, from the sour and steely looks of Crumbelina, was something she found unfathomable.

" _I must keep my wits about me more. This is very unbecoming of me."_

Fortunately it seemed that on Taffyta's end, that none of the other racers had seen or raised any suspicion as to who Lumi was, which could only mean the confrontation had yet to reach their ears.

"Hey Taffyta-!"

The strawberry racer looked back towards the voice to see Rancis standing by, trying his best to hold up his more formal pose in front of his fans.

"It's not like you or Candlehead to be cutting it this close." He mused in his usual posh but warm manner "Is everything okay?

From the way that Taffyta had looked, even after a fresh night of sleep, it was clear that something was backlogging her mind. After all, the candy combatants ALL knew of the events of the previous race, but the girl wasn't ready to be beaten today nor to tell them of the fireworks that had taken place AFTERWARDS.

"Me?" The girl coughed, throwing her head back and standing atll in pride, "Oh Rancis! Ya, should know that NOTHIN' keeps a Muttonfudge down! Not when there's a trophy to be won an' another chance to make Von Schweetz look like puddin'!"

Rancis was surprised at the sudden turn in attitude as everyone knew about the infamous rivalry between Von Schweetz and Muttonfudge, some saying that it was the aid of the outside avatars that were adding fuel to the fire. Today however Taffyta looked like she was ready to go sword to sword to claim the dominance, refusing to let anyone get in her way and ready to crush anyone who did!

The blond boy kept his lips sealed, watching on at the devious smile of the pink racer. If only he had known what was really going through her mind…

From the far corner end of the race track, Lumi finally managed to find a way in to the blind spot, his head turning every few seconds to ensure that he had not been followed.

" _Ah! Here we go!"_

It was a tough trek he was able to get himself standing comfortably, and hidden, from the cheering crowds, their gleeful shouts and cries making the smile forming on his face impossible to erase. He looked up, seeing and hearing the candy NPCs' tiny feet jumping on the floors of the stands. Without the rush of the outside crowd that came in once the arcade was closed, the entire area felt more at home, more peaceful and just as Lumi could remember.

" _Funny seein' it from this point o' view though…."_ He snickered to himself, looking towards the track.

The view was breathless, every little detail from the starting line to the Y split and all the way beyond was crystal clear but none were as great as seeing the racers. From the starting podium he witnessed all the racers standing by, ready to partake in another grand race and show the crowd what it meant to be Sugar Rush.

His heart began to pump, his smile gleaming as he saw all the candy racers in their glory posing near their karts, their respective candies cheering for them. It served once more to bring back bits and pieces of images, something still hidden deep in his mind but even if he could not pin-point the origins of them he was just too happy to care. It took so much of his own self-control to keep him from leaping up and joining the candies in their cheering, remembering the promise he made to Taffyta to stay hidden.

And then it all began. A royal-sounding theme blared out from the Jumbo-tron as the screen blared into life.

"And now-!" called the announcer, his voice echoing across the game "Our beloved President! Vanellope Von Schweetz!"

As the song continued to play, the candies cheered as their leader came forth. Thankfully, Vanellope was unaware of the boy hiding away from her or she would have seen his eyes rolling.

"Oh, boy." The boy mocked, sticking out his tongue in boredom "Here come Miss Princess of course."

Vanellope got to her kart which was situated right between Taffyta and Candlehead. Lumi blinked, finally realizing that the heap of mixed candies and cookies was indeed the 'Royal Ride'.

" _What tha heck happened?"_ the boy continued on his self-commentary " _Looks like someone took tha Royal kart, ate it, an' than chucked it back up!"_

Taffyta and the others may have informed the boy of some of the things that had happened during his slumber but they had left out the part about Vanellope's new ride, the boy trying his best not to burst into laughter at the sight of it. Just watching Vanellope dance around the thing was too much for him.

"Ya two ready ta go?" the raven-haired racer asked, the tone of voice clear she was trying to remove the darkness that happened between the two the night before.

"Of course we are." Taffyta said with a snide huff "Just a matter of seeing if YOU can keep up. I mean you're OTHER crew isn't here to cheer you on."

The vanilla racer felt a sting in her chest, watching Taffyta get into her kart and reeve it up loudly. She looked over at Candlehead and noticed how nervous she looked, the ditzy racer quickly retreating to her own vehicle.

Vanellope growled and scowled; she was being nice enough in trying to drop all the drama that had happened before but if Taffyta wasn't willing to take it?

Lumi, still hidden away in his hiding spot, watched as the racers readied themselves for the player's pick, the best part of the game.

" _Just glad tha guys got inta tha pick…."_ He mumbled, starting to feel a little on edge once the herd of players flocked into the arcade.

He could hear them crying out for dibs on the game, his fingers crossed that his own choices were picked. The game's chime went off as both Vanellope and Taffyta were selected, Lumi hearing the cheers of both the NPCs and the players.

" _So let's see how this goes…"_

The countdown had begun-!

 _ **"THREE- TWO- ONE-!"**_

The starting alarm sounded as each and every racer took off from the starting line at blaring speeds with the exception of one, Adorabeezle finding herself stopped dead at the line for gunning the buzzer too soon. Lumi winced, the false-start buzzer making him cringe.

" _Oooooh! Don't ya hate it when that happens?"_

The others blasted past the boy in a haze of colored sugar, the boy's breath taken away as if this were his first ever viewing of a race thought considering the circumstances, it technically was.

"C'mon C-butt!" the gummie boy hopped and bounced in excitement, no longer caring if anyone heard him amongst the loud crowds "Ya gotta trounce those karp's back inta the waterhole!"

The boy wished he had brought some snacks with him because he knew he was in for a long and blood-pumping race.

Up the track things were beginning to heat up. The second Zaki triplet and Jubileena found themselves locked in a battle for the death at Gumball Gorge, trying their best to sway themselves away from the giant boulders but from out of nowhere-!

 _ ***KA-CHOOOM!***_

A Sweet Seeker blasted them both apart, the crowds going nuts as Swizz made a break through the wreckage, causing Sakura to slam the brakes and spin hard to avoid being wiped out by a stray rocket.

"So close! SO CLOOOOOSE!" Lumi cried, fist clenched and eyes wide. He looked at the map, seeing the symbols of the remaining racers on the track.

Vanellope was again cast into the lime light, the Jumbo-Tron picking up every little move she made and the announcer fawning over her 'talent' as hard as the crowd. The boy growled, wanting to see more of the other racers and their progress.

"C'mon, guy! Ya can't just HAVE tha camera ALWAYS on her!" he grumped to himself, hoping to see a change on the board "Go back to Jubi! Or Gloyd or anyone! I wanna see what they-!"

Lumi wanted to see something? He GOT something.

 _ ***GLITCH!***_

There was that familiar light, that familiar sparkle and in a blink of an eye Vanellope GLITCHED in front of the others, dodging some incoming molasses madness as the others tried with all their might to do so on their, no powers to their helms.

Lumi was stunned, he was shocked as he had never seen such a move before. Suddenly his mind began flashing back to all the Sweet Seekers he knew, some he had to guess, that could POSSIBLE hold such a power within their energized shells but none came to!

"But-! But how could she-?!"

"An' Von Schweetz takes the lead!" the announcer cried as the crowd cheered yet again, Lumi as confused as ever "As the President has said before, when in a Stich! Used a Glitch!"

A glitch?

And then it began to come back to the boy, the story that Taffyta and the others had told him. The strawberry racer had mentioned that Vanellope had been GLITCHED due to King Candy but he had never once in his mind considered the after-effects of such an act. Maybe Vanellope had been damaged but from the way she was tearing up the track it didn't seem like it.

Lumi looked back at the Jumbo-Tron watching as the other racers struggled to keep up, no Seekers to their aids and guided only by their own skills and yet Vanellope still gained ground over them, using the glitch twice more to move between them.

Any and all excitement Lumi had once held was now replaced by OUTRAGE, the boy watching as the other racers were kept in the back, all their moves unable to best the President.

He remembered what Taffyta had said about the outside avatars calling them cheaters, how the other racers had their records and talents put into question whenever they were able to capture a victory ahead of Vanellope. Things were starting to come together, and the more it flashed before the boy's eyes-

"Rotten Salmon!" he growled "How can they say tha others are _**CHEATIN'-?!**_ When everyone cheers the _**BIGGEST CHEATER IN THA GAME?!**_ "

Lumi wanted to rush up the grandstand and take Sour Bill into his hands, demand answers to everything that was going on but once more his self-control kept him at bay and safe.

"Cool it, Gumbettino. Blow your cover now-!"

And so the boy sat on, enduring every following race of the day that came with their highs and lows, each and every one of the racers having win or loss to their name, but one thing always kept bringing him back to anger: that Glitch.

"It shouldn't be allowed…" The boy said to himself once more "There was nothin' like that from OUR stories! Little Miss Princess had nothin' like so-!?"

As much as Lumi wanted to protest he kept his butt planted firming on the ground, left only to mumble to himself in anger. Before long the arcade had closed but that in no way meant that the races were over. The players may have been gone but the BIGGEST race was yet to start; The Roster Race!

Once more it was the Sweet Four of the game that was leading through; Candlehead, Rancis Flugbutters, Taffyta Muttonfudge and of course Vanellope Von Schweetz. Lumi was thankful for his starts that the others were able to even make in the roster as the way Vanellope had been going on with her glitch no one stood a chance.

The Roster Race started off heated, racers after racer falling off before Vanellope took first once again, Rancis this time taking second place. No matter what he did, he couldn't seem to lay a beat on Vanellope, her glitch seemingly impossible to beat. Once the races were over the crowds collected towards their selected racer, Lumi seeing the usual suspect of outsiders flocking to Vanellope.

He had seen all he wanted to and his conclusion made his heart sink.

Where was the fun anymore?

Once again the untold stories were flooding through his minds, seeing faced and hearing voices cheering out but compared to what he had witnessed there was one major factor that separated his apparent fantasies from real life.

The races were never this one sided, never this weighted into Vanellope's favor. Sure, she was a Princess and of course she had fancier things compared to the other candy contestants but he had never seen such actions take place on the track, or he could not REMEMBER them. He had hoped that Taffyta's words were just mere over-exaggerations on her part but now that he had seen it full-frontal it seemed that the Muttonfudge may have been onto something, as terrible as it seemed.

The whole game had turned into one big showing of Vanellope, the other races shoved into the side and rendered nothing more than-

"Placeholders…." Lumi managed to choke out "We….we really are placeholders now."

It made the boy's stomach ache to even think in such a way but there was no other way he could put it. The way everything was focused on Vanellope, how she was allowed to use this glitch power to gain advantages over the others while any actions they tried were called cheating. It all lay way to a game that had forgotten that there was more than one racer that it was a kingdom of many, and that EVERYONE could have fun.

The boy looked to his left then to his right, his hands shaking nervously as he tried to look for a way out. He needed to get back to Taffyta and Candlehead, to talk to them and get more answers for what was going on. Something didn't feel right, nothing felt right anymore and suddenly the boy was starting to fear being released from his box.

"I can't believe we didn't get a ssseat in time! All becaussse of those proxxxy candy pests, taking up our preccccious ssspace."

The boy gasped sharply and ducked off to the side as soon as heard the slippery and smooth tongue of a familiar serpent. He hid well enough but he still feared the great snake, seeing the reptile walking near the back with a rodent companion beside him.

"It's a bummer but at least he got a seat in." said the Rat character, his rough and deep voice not reflective of his outer pixels "Just gotta get here earlier I guess."

"No matter…." Snake sneered "We can alwayssss make up for the sssseatsssss by getting a sssssweet treat."

Lumi didn't like the way the creature had said 'Sweet Treat' and in his first correct guess he knew that Snake-Oil was planning to go after another racer. Rat eyed his partner, putting a hand behind his head.

"What, ya mean like ice cream or somethin'?"

"How about a sssssnow cone?" Snake-Oil cackled to himself "I am feeling a bit partial for a lil Sssssnowanna today. Make her sssssing if you know what I mean."

Lumi scowled, gripping onto the pole of the grandstand; of course he knew what he meant.

" _That CREEP! He's goin' after SNOWY?!"_

"It sssshould make up for lossssing that other kid lasssst night." Snake continued on, Lumi feeling his heart leap into his throat once he realized Snake was mentioning HIM.

"Whatever happened ta him?" asked the rat "I mean, he just up an-!"

"Who caressssss." Snapped the larger character "If he dissssappearssss from thissss game it isssss no worry to me. Jusssst another Placcccceholder, sssso not a big lossss!"

Lumi had known it since the moment he was pulled for the ride that Snake saw him as nothing more than a toy and his confession only confirmed it, bringing the anger out of him even more.

"But you had to ssssee the look on Dunderhead'ssss facccce when I sssmasssshed her pathetic bassssket on her head!" the creature laughed heartily "That Losssser brat or whatever hissss name wassss did help me with that ssssso I musssst give credit where it issss due!"

As if the boy didn't feel bad enough he HAD to be reminded of what had happened between himself and Candlehead, the images of the girl falling down with the broken basket on her head still fresh in his mind.

This didn't make any sense; why of all people was Vanellope covering for Snake if he were doing such terrible things and it wasn't as if Snake had the courtesy of keeping it hidden. He made his vice for the other racers WELL KNOWN and PUBLIC for everyone to see yet no one had the courage to give the snake a good smack on the head? Was this really the new norm in Sugar Rush under Vanellope's rule?

Lumi knew he had to get away from the creature and make his way back to Taffyta's cottage QUICK but in his haste of getting away his foot got snagged on the rope of one of the banners-

"OOPS!"

And he tripped over, pulling it down not only on top of himself but Snake and the rat as well!

"AUUUURGH!"

"WHOOOOA!"

The three struggled in the mess, Lumi hearing the slow and skin-crawling sound of the fabric being ripped with jagged claws; claws that belonged to Snake-Oil!

"What is thissss?!" the creature demanded, hissing angrily as Rat popped his head from one of the holes.

"Hey, don't they care about safety in this place?! This is a code violation!"

Snake's coils curled as he sensed something, looking over and seeing a moving lump from under the banner.

"DON'T MOVE!"

He reached over and flipped the remaining banner, revealing a frightened racer underneath.

"YOU!" Snake-Oil roared as he dove for Lumi, grasping him tightly around the collar of his jacket "How-?! HOW DID YOU GET HERE?!"

Lumi kicked and fought but was reminded once more of how strong the snake's grasp was "Th-tha stork brought me here! L-Least that's what my folks told me!"

"How long were you hiding?! ANSSSSWER ME, WELP!"

" _ **AAAAAAAAAAURGH! HELP!"**_ Lumi cried out as loudly as he could, finding now the best time if ever to let his presence be known _**"THIS SIDE-WINDER IS GONNA EAT ME!"**_

"Snake, put him down!" called the Rat, getting back on his feet "We're gonna get-!"

By now it was far too late to keep things hidden, those at the finish-line hearing the cries as they all turned.

"Is that-!? Is that Lumi?!" Candlehead gasped in worry, Taffyta gritting her teeth. She KNEW it was only a matter of time before something rotten should happen and given the mood of the game, Lumi could only scream THAT loud in the company of one person.

"C'mon!" Taffyta called to her friend but soon the others followed them, the crowd making their way towards the grandstand where Lumi was still being rough-handled by Snake.

"If you even THINK about tattling on ussssss-!"

"SNAKE-OIL!"

The trio turned and found they were in the presence of ASTONISHED company, Vanellope and the other arcade heroes standing at the forefront. Snake froze, caught with his hand in the candy jar as the crowd moved not an inch, already seeing Calhoun's brows furrowing in anger and her fingers reaching for her trigger.

He had to do something to recover.

"Snaky?!" Vanellope asked in utter surprise "What-?! What tha heck is goin' on here?!"

"He-!" Lumi choked out, trying to find his breath "He was-!"

" _ **I-!"**_ The snake quickly recovered as he flung Lumi to the front "Wasssss jusssst checking on thingssss back here and low and behold! Who sssshould I find but the VIRUSSSSS!"

At the very mention of the term, those who were not informed of the boy gasped in horror, some of the racers joining along.

"He's a VIRUS?!" cried Citrusella in fear as she grasped onto her twin.

"No, NO!" shouted Candlehead as she jumped before the group "He's not a virus, he's not!"

"Then what is he?!" asked Gloyd, the larger boy asked as stepped near Lumi "I sure don't 'member him bein' here!"

"Gloyd, wait!" Taffyta shouted as she pulled the jack-o-lantern racer back "Don't pull any of your bombs out now!"

"Yeah!" blurted Candlehead "We meant ta introduce ya guys ta him but I guess we got sleepy last night an'-!"

" _ **C-BUTT!"**_

"Gumbo?" The President cried out, glitching onto Ralph's shoulder, the boy glowering at her as she performed the action.

"It's Gumbettino, Von _**CHEATZ.**_ "

Vanellope felt she was being nice enough when she came towards the boy but to hear THAT name coming from his lips?

"There can only be ONE reasssson why thisssss nothing issss back here." Snake slithered around, Lumi yelping. The snake then turned his attention towards Taffyta, an accusing finger going her way "It'ssss becausssse of her!"

"Me?!"

"Yesssss!" Snake-Oil smiled deviously "I bet you placccced a DUMMY around here to gain an advantage!"

"No, I didn't!" Taffyta shouted back.

"Placcce a few bombssss in the right placccce, a little trick here and there?" Snake continued, a hand resting on his chin "Yessssss, it makessss perfect ssssenssss now! Thissss one wasssss doing Muttonssssludge'ssss doing to _**CHEAT!**_ "

"I wasn't cheating!" the girl roared from the top of her lungs "No one cheats, no one wants to cheat so will you STOP-?!"

"Heheh, little cheaterssssss!" Snake began to sing, a few of his cohorts starting to box the girl in "You know you can not harnessss the ssssskilssss of Vanellope ssssss you have to cheat!"

"NO!"

"Yessss, you did!"

"I DID NOT!" shouted Taffyta again, getting more and more enraged _**"SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP ALL OF YOU AND STOP CALLING ME A-!"**_

"Muttonssssludge is a CHEAT!" Snake chanted, getting the crowd riled up against not only the strawberry girl but the others as well, the so-called placeholder racers shrinking back "Muttonsssssludge is a-!"

 _ **"THAT IS QUITE ENOUGH, SIR!"**_

It sounded as if Snake-Oil had literally swallowed his words as another voice cut through his, eyes going to a furious looking man in blue.

"For GOODNESS sake, man! You're gettin' things riled up I bet tha next arcade over can hear us!"

The other racers looked up in surprise to see Felix once again stepping in as moderator between the battle, the man breathing out.

"Look, I'm sure there's a good reason for tha kid ta have been there but you're not gonna get tha answer by callin' out like a pit a'crazies!

"Felixxx..." The serpent cooed "Ya ssshouldnt meddle in affairsss ya don't underssstand. I am only doing what isssss besssst for Ssssugar Russssh. That sssshould be ssssomething you can underssstand."

"Oh, I do believe I understand." The repair-man said, his tone showing no ease for the reptilian "That's why I can't let ya continue on with this. Ya know how we take ta bullyin' here an'-!"

"Sssooo bullying Vanellope for the passssst fifteen yearssssss doesssssn't count?" the snake sneered, backing Felix down.

"So ya gonna add fifteen more years to it?" Calhoun said with a swagger, Snake's smug façade CRACKING in an instant as he shot her a glare.

He could see her giving a wink, just DARING him to make the wrong move so she could plug him full of holes.

"Maybe I didn't make it clear enough." Snake-Oil snorted "I jussst want to protect the Presssident that'ssss-!"

"Protect her?"

Everyone looked down, Lumi getting on his feet as he gave Snake an angered look.

"Seems ta me she's gots PLENTY'A protection 'round here!"

 _"Lumi, what are ya doin'?"_ Taffyta asked, her eyes darting back and forth but the boy wasn't stopping. He had to get it out.

"Y-yeah! As if I couldn't figure it out myself!" the boy continued "Her goon squad! People cheerin' her name as if she's tha greatest thing since Pong! Looks ta me like Von Cheatz here ain't got anything ta worry 'bout!"

"HEY!"

Vanellope glitched from Ralph's shoulder right in front of the boy, the two standing off.

"My NAME, Gumbo, is VON SCHWEETZ!"

"I think CHEATZ does fit ya better." Lumi huffed, arching a brow as he looked at the girl up and down "That lil flashin' thing dartin' ya from place ta place. Doesn't seem ta follow any rules I know so what's YOUR excuse?"

Vanellope stepped away, stunned that the boy was questioning her glitch in such a manner.

"Excuse me?! What do ya mean-!?"

"Only OFFICIAL Seekers can take a person that far an' even then, I remember they don't show up that much but YOU get ta jump everywhere ya want without anyone battin' an eye? An' everyone gets called a CHEAT when they use whatever they can find?"

As Lumi looked at the girl he knew he had cracked something on the surface, the smugness he had seen from her previously starting to weaken. He knew he was taken a mighty risk with letting his tongue get the better of him but he wanted answers. He wanted to know what was going on.

"I'm WAAAAAAITIN', Princess." The boy said, his arms crossed and his feet tapping on the ground "Can ya tell me WHY you're tha only one here allowed ta-!"

" _ **KING CANDY TURNED ME INTO THIS!**_ " Vanellope shouted, trying her best to hold back tears _**"YOU-! YOU THINK THIS IS SOME SPECIAL POWER OR-?!"**_

"Everyone treats it like one!" Lumi growled back, his heart beating faster and faster "Everyone treats it like its tha best thing ever so don't try turnin' on a sob story about how it's _**SOOOOOO**_ bad for ya when ya let everyone else here get treated like-!"

"Okay, that's it!" Ralph roared as he reached down and plucked Lumi off the ground, the other racers shouting out in surprise.

"Urgh, lemme go!"

"Not till ya stop with this!" Ralph said, angry but his tone came out more like a scold, like a father talking to a child "Vanellope's done absolutely NOTHIN' ta ya so ya have no right ta-!"

"She's done nothin' ta us?" the boy said, Ralph seeing a sinister smile appearing on his face "Boy, this place really is messed up!"

"What do ya mean?" Ralph growled, Lumi's eyes going right to Vanellope, the girl glitching in fear.

"Ya mean ya don't remember it, PRINCESS? Why don't ya tell everyone here tha things YA used ta do ta us!"

"W-What?" Vanellope whimpered, taking steps back as the crowd now turned her focus towards HER "W-What do ya mean-?! I don't even remember ya so how could I-?!"

"Ya really don't remember, DO YA?" Lumi asked, finally able to free himself from Ralph and landing before Vanellope again, his angered eyes telling her that he held the key to something she dare not recall "Ya don't remember what ya called tha Bing-Bings? How ya treated Snowanna? What ya called TAFFYTA?!"

Vanellope glitched wildly in fear, memories of the King Candy enabled bullying returning to her. She had never seen such angered eyes looking back at her since those awful years when Taffyta bullied her but the girl was back in the crowd, looking as confused as she was.

Lumi panted, feeling exhausted as he stood over the girl but he quickly realized that no matter how much he wanted it, nothing was coming back to the girl. He was once again alone in his memories but perhaps that was for the better. Perhaps knowing something that everyone else seemed to be left out on was an advantage, much like Vanellope's glitch.

He looked at her eyes, something blank about them but he didn't care. Even if she were hurt by his words, the fact that he was not remembered by her hurt him.

"Ya really can't remember, can ya?" Lumi said, his voice cold as ice "Maybe we should go an' plug your memories back in. Then everyone can see just what kinda PRESIDENT they're cheerin' for!"

 _ ***WA-BAAAAAAAAM!***_

Lumi felt a massive blow to his gut as his feet left the ground the last thing he saw being that of Vanellope's HORRIFIED face as he was pulled away from her.

" _ **OOOOF!"**_

"LUMI!" came the voice of Candlehead, everyone watching as Lumi was struck by Snake-Oil's tail and thrown into a collection of bushes.

" _ **WICKED, SSSSTUPID, USSSSSLESSSS CHILD!"**_

The wind had been knocked from the boy as he landed, his view spinning faster than a cotton-candy machine.

"Holy-!" shouted Felix as the others rushed beside him, Vanellope left in utter SHOCK at what had just happened before her.

She had wanted Lumi to stop, she had wanted him to go away but she had never anticipated things to take such a turn.

"Are you okay, Presssident?" Snake hissed, the girl kneeling on her hands and breathless, her very core shaken where she was too scared to reply "I couldn't bear to lissssten to that placeholder talk about you any longer!"

Calhoun was stunned, Ralph was stunned and Felix?

"Kids! Get outta tha way!"

He rushed to the boy, hammer in tow and ready to heal.

"Where is he?!"

Lumi had turned, huddled down into a quivering mass with his back turned against everyone. Just by the way he was moving Felix expected the absolute WORST, the hammer clenched in his hands.

"Okay, just one tap should do it an'-!"

" _ **NO!"**_

Felix paused in placed, a little hand held out before him.

"D-D-Don't hit me!"

"What?"

"D-Don't-! Don't hit me!" Lumi murmured from under his coat, his entire body balled up and his back hunched. His voice sounded awful, as if it were hoarse and sore.

"Lumi, let Mr. Fix-it-Felix Jr heal ya!" begged Candlehead, near to tears "It'll make everythin' better an'-!"

One hand reached out for Candlehead and arm bumped against Taffyta.

" _Hoooooome."_ The boy brayed " _I wanna go hoooooome!"_

"But you're hurt!" said Taffyta.

" _Hoooooooom!"_ Lumi moaned again as he dragged the girls off _**"HOOOOOOOOOOME!"**_

Before either girls knew what was going on both were being led down the path towards Taffyta's cottage, both looking back at the crowd and shaking their heads as they had no control over where they were now going.

Back with the heroes Ralph picked Vanellope up, her cheeks red and her eyes puffy from the small amount of tears that she had cried.

"Kid are ya okay?!"

"I-I guess…." Vanellope managed to gulp out, still so confused over what had happened and why the new boy had lashed out on her so suddenly.

"Uuuurgh! FELIX!"

"Y-Yeah?!"

"Didn't I tell ya this was only gonna lead ta trouble?!" Ralph growled, rightfully upset at the exchange "These kids are only makin' things _**WORSE!**_ "

* * *

" _Oooooooh! OOOOOOOOOH!"_

"He's sounding WORSE!" Candlehead blubbered as she and Taffyta finally made it back to the cottage "We gotta find a Sweet Heal! It's tha only thing that can help him now!"

"But ya know how rare those things pop up!" Taffyta said "Do ya have one in your collection?! Ya always got somethin'!"

Candlehead began to dig through her hat, tossing out various things from the endless void.

"I-I have one!" she said, holding the thing with nervous hands "Get it ta Lumi before-!"

" _Oooooooheheheheheheh….."_

The two girls looked, Lumi still hunched over but his tone had changed.

" _Hehehehehehehe!"_

"Aaaaaw, MAN!" Taffyta said nervously "I think that hit broke his brain! He's gone ma-!"

"Pffffft-HAHAHAHAHA!"

Both friends stepped back as Lumi stood tall, not a bit of him broken though perhaps a bit bruised.

"Thanks for playin' along, girls! I don't think we cudda made it had they saw me!"

"URG! LUMI!" Taffyta shouted as she jumped the boy, knocking him on the ground and shaking him "Do ya know how worried ya made us?! I thought Snake-Snot had busted open your skull or somethin'!"

"Gonna admit, he did give me a hit." Lumi grimaced, trying to push the girl off of him "Includin' tha hit you're now LEANIN' on! OW!"

"Ah, sorry! Sorry!"

Lumi breathed out and lifted up his shirt, a bad looking bruise forming on his stomach.

"He's fast…." He sighed "But I've had worse blights. One time, I was tryin' ta help dad bring a boat inta port but tha rope snapped an' SMACKED me on tha face so hard-!"

"GUMBETTINO!" Taffyta demanded, looking right at the boy in anger "What-?! What is goin' on?! What was all of that?! Do ya realize tha trouble we could be in right now! If anyone else finds out how ya talked ta Vanellope they're gonna-!"

Lumi reached out and took Taffyta's hand, placing an object in her palm.

"…Huh?"

"Look at it."

"What is it?"

"Just look at it."

Taffyta looked down at the rolled up object, a dusty and torn scroll it appeared. Being as gentle as she could she uncurled it, seeing the faded drawing on it and at first she was without a mind to what they were but the closer she looked….the more familiar they became.

" _Wait….that's-! That's MY symbol!"_

"Taffyta? Taffyta, what's goin' on?" asked Candlehead, trying to get in a view herself.

"The strawberries!" the girl in pink shouted "Those belong ta me! An' tha cake! That's yours an'-!"

The girl stopped, her eyes scanning over towards another symbol, one that she had never seen before.

"Fish?"

Lumi, the boy grinning more than ever, lifted the sides of his jacket, showing the girls that the same symbols were on his shirt. But could it have possibly meant?

"Snake's hit may have been a good thing…" the boy said, his smile still strong "Didn't think I would be so lucky ta find THAT once I landed!"


	11. Chapter Ten- Unwrap the Map

Chapter 10: Unwrap the Map

"Can you believe it?! _**CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?!"**_

"Ralph, calm down." Felix shuddered, trying to reach out for the enraged giant but Ralph was far too lost in his anger to be consoled.

It seemed that everyone who had been at the track left in broken moods, the President of the game still shaken to her core at how things had come down right before her eyes. It was bad enough that the mysterious Lumi had managed to bring back feelings and memories of her horrid years as 'The Glitch' but the way Snake had attacked him?

Even if the girl had trust in the reptilian creature, her mind was still in a scramble to decide if what he had done was RIGHT. Lumi had been hurt badly judging from the way he had moaned and cried to be taken away but the things that he had said to her hurt just as much as getting knocked in the middle.

Her eyes were still red and puffy from the tears she had spilled, body slouched on her throne and even with the adults in the room, all three of them talking on top of each other, she had no idea who to turn to or what to say.

Ralph on the other hand had already made up his mind; the kids were just no good and the new arrival only proved his point further.

"I told ya once, I told ya twice…." The Wrecker grunted, arms folded painfully across his chest "Those kids were just set ta cause havoc for Vanellope! I knew it!"

Vanellope felt a tingle run down her spine, one that brought on a sense of worry and unease. She knew that Ralph only wanted the best for her but she still didn't know if she agreed with him or not, though images of the racers laughing against her continued to flash in her head. In Ralph's head, the same thing were being replayed, over and over like a bad demo-screen.

It was just like how things had gone down when he first encountered Vanellope nearly a year ago, when the kids had ganged up on her. It was proof to him that only the two knew what it felt like to be bullied and the new kid in green?

Had he been part of the game from the start, he would have gleefully joined in without a moment of hesitation.

"The way he LASHED out at ya…." The big man growled, his teeth gnashing together "He-! He knew what he was doin'! Lil brat held nothin' back! He didn't care!"

"Ralph, stop!" Felix called out as loudly as he could "You're throwin' around accusations again!"

"Ya saw him!"

"Yes, I did!" Felix snapped back, losing his patience with the larger man as he stood against him "An'-!"

"An' don't tell me ya agree with him!" Ralph shouted, his voice booming off the walls "Don't tell me what ya saw was RIGHT?!"

"Of course, I don't!" Felix returned "Are ya tryin' ta assume I wudda allowed that?!"

Ralph felt like busting through the entire game just to get his hands on the boy, his hands on ANY of the racers if it meant setting things right for Vanellope.

"Those lil cavities deserve what's comin' to them if they- _**YOW!**_ "

The man jolted out, feeling a sharp sting within his left shoulder as Calhoun gave a sudden and PAINFUL slug.

"What was that for?!"

"Ta remind ya ta keep your head on." Calhoun quipped, eying Ralph as if he were a child "Less ya WANT me ta chain your butt down so ya don't go wreckin' tha entire game."

"But they-!"

"Brother, listen ta yourself for a moment!" Felix implored, the anger he once showed slowly turning into worry "'Deserve what's comin' ta 'em'? Are ya sayin' ya _**WANT**_ these kids ta get hurt?!"

Ralph crossed his arms against his chest again "They hurt Vanellope, so fair is fair."

"I can't believe ya." Felix said, his voice shaking slightly "After-! After EVERYTHIN' we went through! After BOTH of us learnin' tha hard way of-! Ya REALLY want ta hurt people for REVENGE?!"

Ralph looked down, Felix looking stunned towards him "How is it RE-!?"

"You're an ADULT! We're ALL ADULTS! An' yet ya think it's RIGHT ta go after KIDS who have NO DEFENSE against ya, all because of what ya ASSUME is goin' on?!"

"For all we know-!" Ralph stammered, trying to find his footing in the argument again "That Gumbo kid an' tha others are plannin' somethin'! Somethin' ta hurt Vanellope again an'-!"

"Ralph, STOP!" Felix shouted, throwing his arms out "Do ya know who ya sound like?! You're startin' ta sound like GENE!"

At the very mention of the Mayor of Niceland the Wrecker FROZE, his skin going cold. Felix inhaled, trying his best to collect himself.

"That's-! That's EXACTLY how Gene used ta talk ta me about ya back in tha day. I always tried ta assure him that ya NEVER wanted ta hurt tha guys."

It took a moment for Ralph to find his words, his throat feeling as if it were blocked.

"Y-Yeah?" the big man managed to say, his voice coming out in a tiny squeak.

"With all tha things other people did ta tha Nicelanders, HE was convinced ya shared tha same sentiments. That all ya wanted ta do was hurt 'em because they were small an' didn't have powers. But ya wanna know somethin'?"

Ralph only nodded this time, Vanellope peeking over though she continued her best to pretend she was lost in thought.

"At least…at least Gene's made tha effort ta acknowledge what he did was WRONG. He's accepted ya as someone GOOD….he's shown me that HE can move on."

Ralph knew where this was heading and he didn't like it. His heart started to race, his brows furrowing.

"N-Now, wait! J-Just because Big Gene said-!" he stuttered "I-I know what tha guys are doin' now an-!"

Ralph was backed into a corner and he knew it. The last thing he wanted to be tied with was being compared to _**GENE**_ but in his heart of hearts he just could not find a way to trust the racers, let alone the lone one who had HUMILATED Vanellope in front of the crowd.

And then there was Snake; perhaps his reaction was too far but the reptile was only doing what he thought was best, his interest laying in the same direction as Ralph's.

Vanellope's protection.

The Wrecker's head was pounding, wanting only to find an escape or at the very least a solution to the entire mess.

"There are so many chances I can give a person." Ralph said, his voice grating as he loomed over Felix "An' we gave those kids a chance once Vanellope came back. With tha way things have been goin' now, it only proves ta me that maybe we gave them too much room!"

"But Ralph-!"

" _ **FELIX!"**_

The two men jumped, turning their heads towards an angered Marine.

"Wreck-It, that is ENOUGH."

Now Calhoun had the ball and both men knew better than to even attempt to steal it from her. To their surprise however, the Marine threw herself on one of the guest couches, putting a hand to her forehead.

"As far as I'm concerned…." She began, her voice sounding frustrated and exhausted "We have for greater concerns on our hands than those kids alone."

"Like WHAT?" asked Ralph.

"For one thing, we do need ta take better care an' better watch of who comes in an' outta this place." The woman said, her voice serious "SNAKE took things too far an' if he keeps things up like that-!"

"Rrrgh, let me talk ta him then." Ralph moaned, putting his face in his hands "Baddie ta baddie, I think I can handle it better. I mean, I don't wanna hear 'bout ya goin' ta see him an' all that's left is a snake-skin gun tote."

Calhoun smirked, even if were a jab towards her "Okaaaay. If ya think ya can handle it, Wreck-It."

"S-speakin' of which…." Felix meeped, looking around "Tha way Snake took out that kid."

"What about it?"

The repairman paced in the room, looking deep in thought. He snapped his fingers together as he marched towards the doors.

"Hey, where are ya goin' Felix?" Vanellope asked, glitching from her set but missing the man by a few paces.

"I can't leave someone injured like that on my watch." The man said, determination in his voice. He looked back at the others, flicking the brim of his hat "'Sides, someone here's gotta fix a few things."

* * *

"Are ya sure you're okay?" Candlehead asked in worry as she looked down at Lumi's stomach, handing him another pillow for him to rest on.

The truth of the matter was that the bruise hurt a great deal but Lumi felt it best not to worry the girl any more, especially with how close Snake had come to going after her.

"Nah! I told ya, I've had worse!" the boy laughed to himself before pointing to his mouth, attention drawn to a missing space in his teeth "Ya see this?"

The cake-themed girl nodded, still loving nervous.

"That boat thing I mentioned! This came from when I got hit in tha mouth by a snapped rope!" the boy said, excited to regale the tale "But in tha end, maybe it was a GOOD thing! This was a baby tooth that was KILLIN' me for weeks n weeks an' when I got it knocked out! WHAM! I may have landed on my butt but my tooth didn't hurt! It was-!"

"I still don't get it..." Taffyta cut in, taking the time to pour over every little detail on the dirtied page "How-?! How is this possible?! I mean, ya just got BLASTED by Snake an' ya find this?! This is random luck if-!"

"I make my OWN luck Taffy-pants." Lumi said, beaming in pride.

The boy may have looked proud enough but he was hiding the soreness of his middle. Snake-Oil had not only left a sour taste in his mouth but a painful bump on his belly.

Taffyta continued to score over the paper, looking at it and then towards some of the books she and the others had thrown out onto the floor, the pages serving as guides in their quest to determine whether or not the beaten scroll was real.

"We've looked through everything…." The girl in pink began, eyes darting from book to book "An'-! Tha art looks right, tha letters look tha same! It-! These drawings BELONG here! But-! But I just don't understand it! How can YOUR picture be on that when it doesn't show up at all here?!"

Lumi shrugged, wanting to know the answers himself "Um, Swizz did mention somethin' 'bout me not bein' imp-! IMP-PLEE-! Put in tha game at tha end?"

Both girls nodded, the boy scratching his head.

"That could have somethin' ta do with it! Like, some of tha finished stuff with my symbols on it were complete but they don't show up in tha final game an-!"

"An' somehow, SOMEONE tried ta BURY all tha evidence they could so we wouldn't ask questions!" Taffyta finished, a spark going off in her eyes.

"Yeah, but whole?" asked Candlehead, the most worried of the trio "Who would do that?"

"Who ELSE?" Taffyta snorted "Who was small, annoyin', had a big head an' wore a crown here?"

"Vanellope?" Lumi smirked. Taffyta turned towards the boy, trying her best not to smile but it was quite the task.

"N-No." she snickered softly, covering her mouth "I meant KING CANDY, or tha racer formerly known as TURBO."

Candlehead gasped, her light going off in a burst "Ya think-?!"

"He tried ta unplug an' delete Vanellope…." Taffyta said, her voice serious as she crossed her arms "He took Luigi's-"

"Lumi."

"Lumi's code box an' stuffed it in tha junkyard where he warned us never ta go. I wouldn't be surprised if he tried ta scatter things all over tha game AN' Litwak's so we could never find out what he was really doin'!"

"That…that's CRAZY!" Lumi said, sitting down hard "Was he really THAT desperate ta get in a game?"

"He did all this so I think that should tell ya somethin'."

"An' if we found THIS near tha track…who knows what else we could find all over tha game!" the boy said, his voice rising.

"Wait, what ELSE could we possibly find?" Taffyta asked "I mean, yeah. YOU'RE one thing an' findin' that picture with ya is somethin' but-!"

"Everythin' around here has been so crazy since ya woke me up." The boy cut in "I still dunno my memory to what's real an' what isn't anymore but-! But there's more! I know there's more!"

The boy snatched the paper from the strawberry girl, hungrily pointing to the two fishes and the net design.

"It's not just MY logo. It was on my HOME!" he said, the girls hearing the excitement fluttering in his voice.

"Home?"

"That's what tha fish stood for!" Lumi continued "Why-? Why do ya think I went ta tha docks? That's where I used ta live!"

Candlehead's mouth went agape at the thought "Wait, really? But tha docks are so stinky an' smelly an' that's where King Candy dumped all tha fish an' trashy-trash he didn't want!"

"It never looked like that before!" the boy said "Tha waters were clean! So clean ya could see all tha way ta tha bottom! It was like pure sugar-glass an'-!"

"Okay, we get that part." Taffyta cut in "So I guess ya had some little cottage by tha water. Just like Snowy an' her-?"

"COTTAGE? Some COTTAGE?"

Lumi put his hands on his hips, tapping his foot.

"We didn't live in these tight BOXES! THIS wasn't for us!"

Taffyta arched a brow "We? What do ya mean _**WE?**_ "

"My FAMILY!" the boy blurted out "All'a us! We worked at tha docks an' our house? It wasn't some crate like this! It was-! It was this AMAZIN' place right on tha water! An' my room? On tha second floor with tha window facin' towards tha sea! It was so amazin' an' my entire FAMILY-!"

"Family?"

Lumi turned towards both girls again and upon seeing their looks-

"Guys?"

There was something blank and cold about their eyes at the very mention of the word 'FAMILY'. The bright blue and greens of either racers' eyes seemed to fade, as if their memories and minds had reached a zero, no results found. It was then Lumi remembered the disconnect between himself and the others, how he could recall things within the story that even the completed racers could not but seeing the girls' empty looks at the mention of 'FAMILY', he could tell that things were only going to get even worse and all the more painful for them to recollect.

"Family?" Taffyta repeated, the words rattling in her chest "What do ya mean….FAMILY?"

"Um, a-a mom?" said Lumi "Or a dad? Sisters an' brothers, aunties n' uncles. Maybe a pet or two. Whatever ya had. A family."

Taffyta and Candlehead exchanged looks before returning their focus on the boy.

"Uhm..." Candlehead whispered, the girl pulling meekly on her skirt in hesitation "Uhm, we kinda….don't have families here, Pasty..."

Lumi didn't have the will to correct Candlehead this time, still stunned at her statement.

"What-? What d'ya mean?" he said, his voice sounding dry and scared even with the smile he forced "Of course we have parents!"

Taffyta gave Lumi a glare that could make even the largest Cybug cower into the corner. She had put up with many of Lumi's wild stories but at this point it almost felt as if he were teasing them.

"W-We all have parents." The boy continued "We have FAMILIES! An'-! An' they were there ta cheer us on at tha races! An'-an' even before then! We-! We knew each other an' spent time with each other an…"

Lumi was fighting a losing battle, nothing coming to the girls no matter how excited he tried to act. Taffyta could only feel her rage starting to increase, if only because of the idea that maybe this was once more something that Vanellope had that the racer could never participate in.

"Don't lie ta us."

"I'm not!" Lumi assured the girl "I-! I'm not Taffyta! I'm not lyin'!"

"How can ya know all'a this?!" the girl hissed out in anger "Ya know about Vanellope! An' then ya go on 'bout how we don't belong in these houses an' then tha picture! But now you're sayin' we had FAMILIES?! PARENTS?!"

"If ya can believe tha picture, why can't ya believe THAT?!" Lumi said, backing away from the girl.

"Because-!"

Taffyta stopped, looking at the two before her. They seemed frightened by her sudden turn, not sure of what to do to calm her down.

"No. It's impossible." Taffyta said, sitting back down "Maybe, maybe I can believe there were more racers. Maybe I can believe that we had better homes an'-!"

She shook her head, nearly so hard that her cap almost flew off.

"No! Ya can't tell me that we had parents an'-! Why would Turbo erase that from us?! Why would he-?!"

The usual fire that was known from the girl in pink slowly diminished, returning her to the child that she had always been. She drew her knees to her face, clutching her body tight. She didn't want to think that it was real, that it was possible because it could only mean the worse should it actually be.

"Like we SAID. We DON'T have parents!" she shouted "We never had an' never will because all we are is just cannon-fodder for Vanellope."

"No, it's-!"

"Sorry Luni, but this is HER game. It is an' always HAS been."

"But tha pictures-!"

"That-! That doesn't prove anythin'!" Taffyta continued, Lumi hearing her voice starting to crack "We don't have families, we don't have any other reason ta race an' we were programmed ta be bullies, just as everyone-!"

 _ **"STOP!"**_

The girl squeaked as she looked up, Candlehead standing near her.

"Taffyta, STOP!"

"C-C-Butt?"

"I-!"

The ditzy racer swallowed back, trying to push back her fear as she looked at her best friend.

"'Member…member what ya told me? When Snaky said I cheated an' I was too stupid ta race?"

"H-How could I forget?" Taffyta huffed "He always says that 'bout ya an-!"

"Ya said I was a good racer an' I was more than a bully, Taffyta….an'-"

Something began to go alight in Candlehead's heart. Lumi's words had rung in hear heart and she could not stop thinking about the idea of a brighter and better game, one where it was known that she and the others were NOT bullies, one with tracks unknown and most of all-

A game with families.

She couldn't let Taffyta fall back, she wouldn't LET her. Even if all they had was a tiny clue to something BIGGER, Candlehead felt that Lumi could lead them somewhere.

"An' I think you're not a bully!" Candlehead said "An'-! An' I think-! We can find more!"

"More?" asked Taffyta.

"Yeah! There is more, isn't there Lumi?"

The boy jumped back, surprised at the girl's enthusiasm "Um-! Yeah, I mean-!"

"Ya mean what?"

"It's just that…." The boy began, scratching the back of his head "I have my story, I have my memories…"

"Yeah, yeah?"

"But I don't have YOUR memories!" the boy said, wincing in fear that Taffyta would strike him in response "S-Sorry that I got so excited! I was just goin' off on what I could remember an-!"

"That's because…." Taffyta began "Turbo NEVER had a chance ta lock your memories up like he did with us! An' ya were NEVER effected by any of tha changes!"

The gears were starting to turn in the strawberry racer's brain, her body rising from the floor as she stood on her feet.

"Turbo-!" she shouted "He-! He knew he couldn't delete things here! He didn't have tha power an'-! An' he never figured out how EVERYTHIN' in this game worked!"

"Huh?" asked a confused Lumi.

"That's why he threw ya in tha junk yard!" Taffyta said, feeling as if she could fly through the roof "He couldn't DELETE ya so why not put ya in a place where he had always FORBIDDENED us ta go!"

"But didn't Vanellope go there a lot?" asked Candlehead "She wudda-!"

"She wouldn't have known WHAT a code-box was because she wasn't President anymore!" Taffyta said "An' sides that, what could she had done with it? It took Swizz' stuff ya even get Pastie here online so Tur-butt KNEW NONE OF US would be able to put things back together, 'SPECIALLY if he warped tha game in such a way-!"

Taffyta gasped out loudly, eyes widening.

"Taff?"

The girl ran over to the book shelf again and pulled out the massive Sugar Rush atlas. After throwing it on the ground with a loud BOOM, she flipped opened the pages to the main map of Sugar Rush.

"There! This is our home!" she said as she showed Lumi the details "What do ya see?!"

The boy looked over the picture but even before he said a word Taffyta knew he was thrown off. The way his eyes scanned the illustrations, the way his brows creased.

"No, no, NO!" he cried out "This-! This isn't the map! This isn't what I studied!"

"Studied?" Candlehead said as she looked over the boy.

"I-! I love lookin' at maps an' tha map of our home was somerthin' I always had up! An' this is all wrong!"

"Tell us what's wrong." Taffyta said.

"First off…tha area near tha castle? It's too BIG, too much space is bein' used an' there's no garden!"

"I 'member sort'a garden…" Candlehead said, wrinkling her nose "But it was always filled with weird bushes that were shaped like King Candy."

"Tha Bing-Bings!"

"Jubi n' Cissy?" said Taffyta, the boy nodding.

"They lived on tha grounds! I mean, they lived around here but it's not showin' up!"

Candlehead's eyes lit up "Wow, they lived NEAR Vanellope?"

"An' where is tha library? An' tha town shops! That's where you two-!"

Once more, the boy stopped and looked at the girls. Their expressions told that they were hungry to know, DESPERATE to have the truth told to them about their purpose in the game but something held Lumi back. A terrible feeling that should he say too much than he would cause far too much trouble in the game than he already had.

"Lumi?"

The boy in green looked over to Candlehead, her eyes becoming too much for him.

"C'mon, C-Butt. Not with that look!"

"What….what do ya 'member?" the girl asked "What do ya remember from YOUR story?"

The boy knew he couldn't leave the two girls in limbo as it would be a crueler fate than being left to deal with Vanellope and her new 'friends'. But how could he tell them? How could he tell them the truth without shocking them too much?

"Hey, we're waitin'." Said Taffyta, a brow arched "Don't tell me Turbo's mind lock finally hit ya too!"

Lumi said nothing as he walked over to Taffyta's table, pulling out a large piece of drawing paper and a crayon. His silence continued as he went over to the book and laid the paper on top of it, dragging the crayon on its surface.

"Whatcha doin'?"

The boy began to trace and for a moment, the two racers thought he was only COPYING the exact lines of what was printed in the atlas but to their surprise Lumi began to take different moves and turns on the paper, some of the lands becoming larger, some smaller and some tiny islands popping up that they were unfamiliar with.

" _An' then there was tha Rainbau's place. Can't forget that! Oh, an' tha stables went here! Tha graveyard here-!"_

"Lugi, what is this?" Taffyta asked, putting her hands to her sides "Are ya gonna draw over all my books or-?"

"There!"

The boy stood up and held the paper before the girls, smiling to himself.

"I'm not tha best artist here….but this is what Sugar Rush SHOULD look like!"

The girls studied the drawing, unable to find words well enough to match their reactions. All they could see were doodles but the more they looked…

Something.

Something small.

They could see it, something struggling to return to them. Taffyta felt it flash in her brain, shutter before her eyes of a map. One that she had not seen in ages but was it real? Did it match the drawing that Lumi had made? The image reappeared before her eyes again but it did so in a painful manner, the girl crying out as she stumbled back, hands held to her head.

"Taffyta?!" Candlehead cried as she ran to her friend, holding her before she fell to the ground "What's wrong?! What happened?!"

Lumi was once again feeling terrible for what he had brought on, the boy dropping the map as he rushed to the girl's aid.

"C'mon, Taff! Don't leave us!"

Her head may have been pounding but the sensation wasn't as strong as the one she felt right to the very depths of her code. Suddenly, all the doubt and anger she had taken over the course of months since Vanellope's return were being SQUASHED. They were being replaced by something else, something fiercer. She looked down at the map again, tingling in her fingers and toes.

The image looked familiar.

It looked RIGHT.

She knew it was right!

The girl stood on her feet and took the paper into her hands, studying it.

"Taffyta?"

"Some of these places…." The girl began "I know where they are. I mean, not tha places ya drew but if ya put 'em over tha map in tha book, they're easy ta find."

Lumi and Candlehead looked down, Taffyta pointing to one spot in particular.

"Right here? This is where Snowy lives an' we've been there TONS'A times."

Lumi grew hopeful, his hands clenched and raised towards his chest "Then-!"

Taffyta nodded her head a no "If you're gonna ask if it looks anythin' like somethin' special or whatever you're imagin' than no. She has tha same kinda small houses as we all do an' tha beach is tiny."

Lumi deflated, his hopes once more dashed.

"But…."

Taffyta snickered, a devious grin curling on her lips.

"But…who's ta say we can't do a lil investigatin' ourselves on this."

Lumi looked STUNNED at the girl, nearly falling over in the process "W-Wait! Then this means you're gonna-!"

"I wanna look into this…." Taffyta said as she peered at the map again "If everythin' ya said before 'bout families an' hidden things have somethin' to 'em then why NOT see what we can turn out?"

The boy couldn't help but smile, feeling as if after all the arguing and denial he was getting closer to proving he wasn't whatever item Vanellope's new friends had called him but it was more than that; this could mean big things for all the racers!

Taffyta, Candlehead, Rancis, Swizzle, EVERYONE!

It could prove that ALL the racers had a place in the game!

Lumi couldn't help himself, so overcome with excitement and joy that he ran over to Taffyta and embraced her.

"HEY!"

"We're really gonna do this!" the boy laughed, still clutching Taffyta in his arms "We're gonna open this game WIIIIDE open and show-!"

"Simmer down, Luni." The girl said, pushing the boy off of her "Before ya go out blazin', we gotta keep things on tha down-low."

"What do ya mean?" asked Candlehead, looking very worried.

"What I mean is, we can't let Miss Von Cheatz know about this." The other girl glowered, her tiny hands balled into fist.

"But-! But she's gonna want ta know!" protested Candlehead "An' this is her game too so anythin' we find out about HER, she HAS-!"

"She'll find out soon enough." Taffyta cut in, Vanellope's findings the least of her concern "'Sides, lil Miss President's gonna be far too busy entertainin' her new crew ta even worry about us. I doubt she'd even wanna get her hands dirty!"

Lumi frowned and nodded in agreement. He wasn't saying much on the subject but after his previous encounters with girl he knew that having her around wouldn't make the plan any easier, and if she were to drag Snake and his cohorts around? Nothing would get resolved.

"But where do we start?" Candlehead said as she picked up the map "There are so many places! So many areas we haven't even gone through ourselves!"

"We gotta start somewhere." Said Taffyta "An' seein' as I know tha track will be swamped tomorrow with-!"

 _ ***KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK***_

The three children quickly turned to face the front door, looks of worry coming over their faces as to who it could be at such an hour.

" _Miss Muttonfudge?"_

FELIX!

 _"Kids? It's Mr. Felix! From Fix-it-Felix Jr.! Are ya in?"_

They were in alright but they were not at all prepared for visitors, at least TWO of them anyway.

"Mr. Fix-it Felix Jr!" Candlehead beamed "Ya think he came for cake? I know it's kinda late right now but that's tha PERFECT time for cake! An' tea! An' ice-cream! An'-!"

"Candlehead, not now!" Taffyta gasped, looking on the floor and realizing how much of a mess her home was in "We gotta clean this stuff up! FAST!"

Immediately, Taffyta and Lumi set to work making the place look tidy but there was still the paper that Lumi had found to contend with.

" _Someone hide it!"_ he whispered in panic, Candlehead going for it and chucking it into the laundry basket.

With the house looking as good as it was going to be, Taffyta rushed to the door and opened it, hoping beyond hope that the 'guest' did notice the sweat or her panting too hard.

"M-M-Mr. Felix!"

"H'lo Miss Muttonfudge! H'lo Miss Candlehead! I'm glad to see that you two have made it safely in!" Felix responded in relief, though his gestures were the only positive ones to be found.

As the children gathered at the door, they could see the cold eyes of Calhoun, Vanellope, and most of all RALPH looking at them.

The three children moved even closer to each other, the stand-off between the two groups lost to Felix. Lumi and Ralph's eyes met and it was a meeting that did not spark off anything good. If Ralph were upset at what the boy had told Vanellope, the unknown racer was even more upset that the big man had shown up at all. Without thinking, Lumi took ahold of Candlehead's hand, holding it tight should he need to pull her back in if either the Wrecker or vanilla racer make a move.

"Uhm..." Taffyta twiddled her thumbs, looking down "So... what can I do for ya?"

Felix lifted up his hat and knelt down towards the girl "Miss Taffyta, I'm sorry for what came down today at tha tracks."

The girl blinked in surprise, not expecting someone on Vanellope's side to actually APOLOGIZE for the ruckus that Snake had started.

" _Really?"_

"We didn't plan on comin' in on such short notice, which cudda prevented tha whole thing." Felix continued, Ralph snorting and rolling his eyes behind him "I made a promise ta myself that I was gonna make sure that confrontations like that don't happen durin' races-"

" _Yeah, if they don't start it."_ Ralph mumbled, Calhoun jabbing the man in the side.

"An' with tha way Snake hit-. Um….UH."

Lumi stepped forward, though a bit hesitantly towards the man.

"Lumi…" the boy said calmly "M'nickname is Lumi."

"Yes, LUMI." Felix nodded with a smile "I just wanted ta make sure ya were alright. I mean that way Snake hit ya back there-!"

A short jolt of pain shot through Lumi's middle, the boy trying his best to cover it up with a small wince.

"N-Nah, its okay." He mumbled out, eyes going to Vanellope "After all, I thought it would be more important ya take care of VANELLOPE first. I mean, she is tha most important racer here, right?"

Ralph growled again, his cheeks turning red; the comment Lumi had made was full of vice towards his friend and if Lumi really wanted to see an injury that bad, Ralph could have provided with a whack from his OWN fist.

"Kid, we just wanna look over it." Calhoun said, her voice stern but steady, the tone surprisingly coming to ease on Lumi "Take it from someone who knows. Ya might think it's a lil hit but before ya know it, you're in tha infirmary with somethin' grave."

"So you're takin' me ta tha hospital?" the boy asked curiously "Do ya really think it's that bad?"

"Nah, there won't be a need for that." Felix smiled, as he took his hammer out of its holster "Just lemme take a look."

Of course, Lumi had only gotten a short glimpse of the Hero's hammer so seeing the man take the tool into his hand confused him even further. Lumi was certain that Felix wanted to FIX HIM but not in such a way!

"H-Hold on a moment!" the boy said, backing towards the others but Taffyta stopped him.

"Its okay, Lulu." She said, a slight smile forming on his face "It make look funky, but Mr. F knows what's he's doin'."

Still a little nervous, the boy walked towards the Niceland hero, gulping as he took the bottom of his shirt and lifted it up to reveal the mark and upon showing it…

One big, ugly bruise.

The bruise looked as if it had SPREAD in the short time Lumi had received it from Snake-Oil, Ralph and Vanellope pulled out of their little zone of anger to complete SHOCK at what they saw.

It had really done that much damage?

Vanellope was surprised that Lumi wasn't crying out in pain given how badly the injury looked, a tiny glitch running through her. Felix and Calhoun on the other hand were much more composed, the two of them studying it.

"Solider got somethin' like this before a reset…." Said the woman "Got it from being side-swiped by a level six Cybug."

"Gene an' some of tha guys got things just as bad." Said Felix "But ya know it won't take but a second."

Felix took Lumi's arm into his hand and with careful aim tapped the boy's injury with his hammer. Lumi tried to object but everything happened so quickly, everything happened in a golden flash! Never before had the boy felt so energized, so healthy as he could have sworn his body lifted from the ground, a golden aura filling every inch of him and in a second-

"Whoa."

It was over and Lumi's injury had vanished. He looked at his stomach, unable to BELIEVE that he had been healed so quickly without the aid of a Sweet Heal.

"There." Felix said proudly as he stood up and smiled at the boy "Feelin' better?"

The racer in green said not a word, just nodding as he looked at the hero shyly.

Perhaps Lumi was wrong about the smaller man as he did not have to help Lumi but he came all the way from the castle to check on ALL THREE of the racers which could have meant there was someone in the arcade who didn't have it out for them.

"An' if he tries doin' somethin' ta ya again, tell me." The man in blue said, his tone going serious this time "I don't want ya goin' after Vanellope but that doesn't mean ANYONE has tha right ta hurt ya as well."

This time, all three of the racers were in shock; Felix really was a good guy if he didn't seem to mind helping the racers, even if they were previous bullies of his closest friend.

"Think we can split now?" Ralph mumbled to himself, wanting nothing more than to leave and not be saddled with guilt "Ya know it's late an' we all need sleep."

"We'll get there, Ralphie. We will." Retorted Felix as he and the others turned to leave, the man looking back one more time "Be careful ya three, an' remember what I told ya."

"Y-Yes, sir." Said Taffyta, her voice once again returning to a child-like state "W-We will."

The door slowly closed and once more separated the two groups and their worlds.

"You're bein' far too nice to 'em." Ralph grumbled towards Felix "They're gonna take advantage of ya. I know it."

Felix didn't agree with his friend but kept his demeanor about him, refusing to lose his cool.

"You're more than just a bad guy, Ralph. They're more than just BULLIES."

And with that out of the way Taffyta sighed in relief, sliding down front door, "Thank tha programmers THAT's over! I thought we were in tha devildog house FOR REAL then!"

"Ya- ya think they meant what they said?" Candlehead finally spoke up, felling much happier to speak up in front of her friends again, "I mean-! Mr. Fix-it-Felix Jr helped Lumi so I think they're on our side!"

"Maybe…." the boy spoke up, rubbing his now fixed bruise again as he looked back at his friends "That Ralph guy? I still think he's got it out on us…"

"He's always been like that since Nelly got back inta power." Taffyta said, sounding miffed "So learn ta deal with it 'cuz he's always gonna be that way."

Lumi watched Taffyta as she began to gather her books again, noticing the paper in the laundry basket.

"Taff?"

"What?"

The boy walked over to the basket and plucked the paper free, looking over it once more. It didn't take Taffyta more than a nano-second to realize what he wanted and with a sneer she placed her hands on her hips.

"Yeah, it's still on."

"Ya think we can do it with out makin' anyone suspicious?" Lumi asked, now worried at the thought of losing Felix's trust should they be caught.

"Vanellope may have lived out in tha wilderness for all those years…." The girl said, the smugness still showing through "But there are places that even SHE didn't trod on. Places only WE know about."

"An' ya think they have somethin' ta do with all tha missin' stuff?" asked Candlehead, holding her hands in worry.

Taffyta KNEW that's what it EXACTLY was. Lumi had lit the flint and she was more than determined to keep the fire going until the bomb went off. There was just too much going on for the boy's memories and stories to be fake and given how much Turbo needed to destroy and hide in order to remold the game in his image, it could be possible.

It could be possible that Vanellope had not reset the game and it was going to take the other racers to do it.

Taffyta chuckled at the idea, the idea that the much beloved and lauded Vanellope couldn't even finish her appointed job as leader of the game and the other racers doing it for her. It made her smile in glee, to imagine how everyone would then realize they were cheering for the wrong racer, that they were praising the wrong characters but most of all that Vanellope was not as powerful as everyone made her out to be.

To see her face when she would be forced to eat crow, to admit that her role of Princess was nothing more than a shiny wrapper on stale and tasteless candy, that without her glitch she really wasn't anything special at all…

"Taffyta?"

The girl turned around, Lumi and Candlehead glancing at her. She tittered, sitting down on the couch.

"So Lumi…" she said "We need ta get ya some beach gear."


	12. Chapter Eleven- Sweet Songs

Chapter 11: Sweet Songs

It didn't take long for Taffyta to equip the young boy with what he needed for the trek; swim-shorts, towel, beach clogs and of course the map; the little crayon drawn map.

Taffyta knew that should anyone else in the arcade see the thing, it would have sent them into a fit og giggles but what may have looked silly to them held a powerful secret to the racers.

It was only a small piece of a massive puzzle that the strawberry girl was ready to solve, a slice of sweet cake that she wanted to enjoy before everyone who had doubted her and the rest of her friends. The map was going to show her where she and the other racers stood in the game.

And it was all thanks to the boy in green who was riding behind her.

"First time I've been to tha beach like this…" Lumi gulped nervously, holding onto the back of Pink Lightening, Candlehead followed close behind "An' I'm usually EXCITED ta head ta tha water but I feel kinda nervous…"

"What's wrong, Lumi?" Candlehead asked, looking up at the young boy. He blushed, face scrunching up into a nervous smile.

"Er…um…."

"Yeah?"

"Don't wanna be a downer seein' as we're kinda close ta tha beach now but…but ya don't think anyone's gonna be mad seein' me?"

Taffyta adjusted her side mirror, looking at the boy. So he WAS still a little shaken from the exchange he and Snake-Oil had had the previous day. And to think the young girl thought the boy was able to shake off the words but it seemed that Snake's venom could go through even what she thought to be the toughest of skin in the game.

The thought only fueled Taffyta however, every fiber in her being wanting to prove to Snake, to EVERYONE in Litwak's that she and the other racers were not Vanellope's stooges as they had so gleefully and readily jumped upon. She KNEW could find proof, the memories that Lumi had triggered just a start!

She would find evidence that the racers played larger roles in the game and that they had more hands to the land than everyone thought and to see the looks on their faces when the facts were slammed upon them!

To see the look on VANELLOPE'S face, the humiliation, the embarrassment!

Even if Vanellope could cheat her way in a race, to find out that she wasn't as a special as she was made out to be would be the sweetest prize and revenge Taffyta could get.

"Don't worry 'bout a thing." The girl smiled, adjusting her sunglasses as she road into the clear sunny road "Those goons know better than to show up on Snowy's beach."

Taffyta looked back, thinking of ways to entice more information from the boy.

"I mean….ya DO remember what this place was like right? I mean, how the beaches were aaaaand….?"

"Um, come to think of it." Lumi began, his mind going back to his stories "I've….I've only been ta Snowy's place once."

"Really?" Candlehead said, her big eyes blinking. Lumi gave a shake of his head, looking up at the candy clouds as he continued to remanence.

"Yeah, it was a big party." Lumi continued, keeping calm to keep his thoughts clear "Af-after our first race!"

"From tha way things sound…" Taffyta began "Snowy's folks were private too? Didn't want too many rough guys around?"

"Nah!" the boy smiled "Snowy n' her folks? They were just so busy all tha time goin' on tours n' stuff! Pop n' I would sometimes catch'a glimpse of tha place on our boat but we never really gotta chance ta touch feet on it! Till that party, that is!"

"It sounds like a lotta fun!" Candlehead said brightly "EVERYONE came?"

"Yup! Ya, me! Name a racer they were here! Best party on that best beach!"

The boy sniggered, feeling a bit cocky.

"I mean, OUR beach ties but I guess people wouldn't wanna swim when there are so many fishin' boats goin' about!"

"I guess not." Taffyta said, fibbing that she shared the memories when she clearly did not. She could not remember a time during Candy's rule when Snowy's beach was very busy but she always found it a little odd how the area was built and designed.

There had been large formations around the area that looked like a plot of land from the way the rocks and trees were dotted about but over all those years no one looked into it, not even Snowanna herself but now that things had changed so much….

"We're here!" Candlehead cheered, her kart moving ahead of Taffyta's and finding a prime spot "Ooooh, doesn't it look WONDERFUL Lumi?"

Once Taffyta had parked, Lumi hopped off and looked around, his entire body tingled with excitement and energy as he saw the land, his mind piecing together the area but it did so slowly.

"I-! I remember some of this-!"

Taffyta turned around, raising her sunglasses up "O-Oh, yeah! THERE is where Snowy holds her concerts and-!"

"Nah, nah, nah!" Lumi shook his head "Not here! The ocean air comes in too strong an' it would be dangerous ta set a stage!"

The boy pointed towards the west, away from the water and up near where Snowanna's little cottage rested.

"There, THERE!"

"There?" Candlehead blinked, Taffyta walking next to her "Right there?"

"Yup! Snowy an' her folks held concerts THERE! An'-! An'-!"

The boy braced down, looking as if someone had lit a fuse to the fireworks of his excited mind.

"Tha big concert! WOW! Everyone from all over tha kingdom came an'-! An' they sang 'Sugar Rush' an'-!"

"Who?" asked Taffyta, the boy running in circles.

"Mrs. Rainbau's band!" the boy said, his arms in the air "SHE was tha one who wrote tha song an' it was for Snowy! An'-! An' in tha middle-! Snowy an' her dad would do guitar duets! It was her first time on stage like that an'-!"

"Woooah, slow down there!" Taffyta found herself laughing, taking Lumi by his shoulder "Don't wanna go off on us, do ya?"

"Sorry, but…but there's supposed ta be so much more. There's more beach land, more trees, an' Snowy's place. It was HUGE! Somethin' that Mr. Rainbau said he wanted cuz they're away from home on concerts. He wanted a place where tha family could rest an' have fun with everyone."

Taffyta's eyes opened wide as she looked at the little cottage, her mind filling in the blanks as best as she could.

"And they invited all of us?"

Lumi looked at Taffyta, the girl clearly amazed by the idea that she could be privy to the home of a super-star.

"Yeah." The boy said, his tone softer "Snowy's folks weren't like Vanellope's crew back there. They didn't care who ya were or what your job was. They just wanted ta have as much fun as everyone else."

"So, it didn't matter if ya weren't famous?" asked Candlehead, Lumi giving yet another head shake.

"Nope!"

"Wow…..that's so different from what King Candy did."

"Ya mean he had concerts too?"

Taffyta nodded, her head lowered "Y-Yeah….but they probably weren't as exciting as what you're saying. I mean, most of the concerts he threw? He always made certain that they only happened because of HIM and he was always the center point and he was ALWAYS so-! So snobby in who he wanted to invite!"

The girl rubbed her arm in shame, feet digging into the sand.

"It's not like I didn't say anything against it."

Lumi felt a little sad, rubbing the back of his head.

"Aaaw, don't feel bad about it, Taff!" the boy laughed "That's…that's in tha past now!"

The girl looked hopeful "I guess so. Just wish people would stop trying to make it our future."

"HEY, SNOWY!"

Candlehead gave a cheerful shout as she looked towards the cottage, noticing that she and her two companions were not alone.

"Snowy! Beezie n' Nougie! We're down here!"

Lumi looked up, seeing that he had indeed missed the two other racers on the porch of the cottage, Snowanna sitting with her candy guitar in her hands.

"Guys! Wow, what brings you here?" the Snocone girl said, a little startled to have other visitors to her beach. She then turned her head towards Lumi, a hand reaching for her glasses as she adjusted them.

"Whu-oh…" Lumi gulped, tugging his collar "Maybe we shudda called ahead?"

"Lemme handle this, Lumi." Taffyta nodded as she walked towards Snowanna and the others "Yo, Snowy."

"What's he doin' here?" the dark-skinned girl asked, Taffyta seeing her eyes narrow through her rainbow lenses "Don't wanna sound like I'm suspicious of anythin' Taff, but-"

"There's no need for ya ta worry that frozen head of yours, Snowy. Things are okay with him."

Taffyta looked over, Adorabeezle and Nougetsia pressing themselves back against the wall of Snowanna's cottage. It wasn't as if Taffyta expected the others to greet Lumi with welcoming and warm arms but was there a need for them to act so frightened.

Then again, it wasn't as if THEY had behaved any better back during 'The Glitch Era' of their lives.

"Don't believe that horehound Nelly n' Snake-Butt said 'bout this kid." Taffyta smirked, thumbing over to Lumi "He's on our side."

Snowanna still wasn't sure about her friend's take. She had heard through the grapevine, as short as it was, a few things about the game's newest resident and none of them were too sweet.

"Taffytaaaaaa….."

"Snowy, look. I wouldn't bring someone dangerous to your house, would I?" the strawberry girl asked, flipping her bangs out of her eyes "I mean, is this Snake?"

"No, I guess not." The snocone girl winced, remembering there were people FAR WORSE who could have shown up to her house "But I kinda wish ya wudda given me tha heads up on all this. If Nelly finds out-!"

"Oh, we made a promise 'bout that!" Candlehead smiled as she hopped before the two "Vanellope isn't gonna hear a WORD about this or tha map or-!"

Candlehead was so excited that she nearly spilled the jelly-beans but she quickly remembered the 'secret' of the mission she was on, her brain quickly coming up with an excuse.

"Uh-! I mean!"

How could the cake-themed racer save this one?

"Th-tha map? It's a map of-!"

Snowanna looked at the girl in a confused manner "A map of…WHAT?"

"JELLY FISH!" Candlehead blurted out "We wanted ta see…um, that peanut-butter n' jelly fish migration! Don't they come at this time of year?"

Taffyta placed a hand on her forehead; OH, CANDLEHEAD.

"Hey Snowanna!"

The girl looked over, Lumi making his way up the path. He knew there wasn't much he could tell the girl to get her to trust him so quickly be he took in a breath, puffed out his chest and-

"Taffyta told me a lotta good stuff 'bout cha." The boy said "An'…an' it was my idea ta come down here, cus I just felt like this would be tha best spot ta take a break from all that guff near tha track!"

Not only was Snowanna surprised by the boy's comment but so were Adorabeezle and Nougetsia.

"Really?" asked the frost fro girl "Taff told ya all that?"

The boy nodded "I'm still kinda new ta this place. Do ya think ya can help me along?"

The racer who was known for her melodic voice found herself unable to speak a word. This HAD to be a trap, this HAD to be a trick. There was no way that the boy was being truthful in his statement towards her!

Or-

Or had Snowanna and the others gotten so used to outsiders of the game talking so NEGATIVELY about them that the idea of someone saying something NICE was a thought long since tossed? Lumi could see Snowanna blushing, a sign that something had been hit.

"W-Well…."

"Yeah, Snowy?"

Again it took a while for Snowanna to find the words she wanted to say, very embarrassed as she was surrounded by all her friends, the new one in green included. She laughed nervously, a shaky smile forming on her face.

"Ah-! Ahahah! Um, ya can come an' listen ta me play! _If…if ya want."_

Thankfully it did not take long for things to be lost in laughter as the new guests found themselves joining the other three on the porch to listen to Snowanna play, the girl finding something soothing about the warm summer air around her.

"I just felt like playin' today." Snowanna said, her little fingers gracefully strumming the strings of the guitar "I didn't think anythin' of it but before I knew it, Beezie n' Nougie arrived an'….well, here we are."

"I just wanted to get Beezie outta the village." Nougetsia told the others "With the way things have been going on, she's been cooked up in our igloo and-!"

"W-Well…." The tiny racer meeped, twiddling her fingers "I-It's not like we had a good reason TO go out, have we?"

"Don't tell me you've had those creeps comin' to your place as well?" Taffyta scowled, Nougetsia nodding her head.

"Yup. That Snake guy always seems to pop up, running our cheering squad around and worse. He scares the whipped cream out of Beezie!"

"RRRRRGH, that jerk!" Taffyta growled to herself "Why won't anyone do anything about him?! Have you told Surge or anyone?!"

The two ice-sisters lowered their heads, Adorabeezle looking much more ashamed than her older sister.

"I guess we've been too scared." Nougetsia said "We told him once, but when Snake found out he went mad on us and…and…."

Nougetsia's skin turned an even lighter shade of white than it already was, the girl spinning her long hair through her fingers.

"I just don't want him messing with Beezie. He's twice our size. We don't stand a chance against him."

"An' I'm guessin' ol' Princess Von Schweetz didn't do anythin' when ya told her either?" Lumi said, with a brow arched.

"Ya heard Nougie. We're…. _ **I'M**_ scared." Adorabeezle whimpered "Besides, Snake is always lurking around and Vanellope seems to be good friends with him so…so, what would she think if we told her that he was doing something BAD?"

"So?" the boy snorted "So what? He's messin' with ya! Tellin' her tha truth 'bout that would be tha right thing ta do! Or will that make tha widdle Princess have a tantrum cuz someone she knows is a big fat meanie?"

"Lumi, please." Candlehead meeped, trying not to bring such a good day down "We came ta tha beach ta have FUN. Not talk about snakes…unless they're gummie sea snakes but Sticky told me that gummie sea snakes are REALLY dangerous so maybe we shouldn't talk about snakes at all an'-!"

The girl stopped, shaking her head and her pigtails going about.

"Maybe we should just go ta tha beach! I wanna have fun!"

The others agreed that it would be best to actually enjoy the day then make mentions about snakes and Princesses, the lot of them heading towards the beach but not before Lumi pulled Taffyta over to the side.

" _I thought ya said we were goin' on a search…"_

" _We are."_ The girl said, watching as the others went to a small shack near the cottage, some items being collected inside " _We just need ta keep tha mood light. Wouldn't want things ta go overboard an' make 'em think we're up ta some bad licorice, huh?"_

Snowanna then came out of her shack, a volleyball net in tow and before Lumi could blink he was going headlong into the sand as he made a save for his team.

"HA-HAAAAA!"

He roared in triumph as he sent the ball flying to the other side of the net, Candlehead going back and forth on her feet.

"AH! AAAAAH TAFFYTA!"

"I got it!" the strawberry girl cheered as she dashed to the back, her legs picking her up in a high jump as she smacked the ball back "Ho HAAAAA!"

"Wow, awesome jump!" Snowanna called out, watching the ball "But I got it! I GOT-!"

 _Miss._

The rainbow girl felt the very skin of the ball BRUSH against her fingertips but it was just out of reach, the ball bouncing and rolling in the sand.

"Yes! Two points for us!" Taffyta jumped and cheered, Candlehead and Lumi clapping.

"Just ya wait!" Snowanna smirked as she ran after the ball "Once we get back into play, you're gonna see how-!"

"What issss _THISSSS?_ "

Snowanna let out a gasp as she stopped on her feet, the tall shadow of familiar scaled creature coming into her view.

"OH!"

The other kids looked in shock, Adorabeezle jumping behind her sister in fear.

"SNAKE-OIL!"

The prodigal snake had indeed arrived, a few of his members beside him and given the sneer he was giving the other candy racers….

" _Hehehe…."_

He was ready to start trouble.

Lumi was already balling his hands into fist, not at all in the mood to see the creature.

" _How did he get here?!_ " he whispered over to Candlehead, the girl gulping.

" _I-I dunno! Maybe he followed us."_ The ditzy racer said in fear _"We didn't talk that loud 'bout our plans, did we?"_

" _Wouldn't surprise me."_ Taffyta growled as she eyed the group _"Just play it cool. There's no need ta give the creep what he wants."_

Snowanna stood before the taller character, brows creased in anger "What do ya want, Snake?"

Snake bounced the ball in his hand teasingly "Nothing. Jusssst wanted to know what you guyssss were doing."

"Um, just playin' a bit of volleyball. Is that a problem or somethin'?" Snowanna answered.

"Not at all, not at all." The Snake nodded "But….it doessss sssseem a bit odd."

"What's odd?"

"That you would hold ssssuch fun and NOT invite Vanellope."

Lumi could already tell where this was heading, the boy looking over to the side and seeing the aforementioned racer coming up in the crowd as she glitched from her kart. His eyes narrowed at the very sight of her.

" _Oh, great."_

"Snake, what's goin' on?" Vanellope asked as she finally made her way through the crowd "Was there a party goin' on here or not?"

"Jussssst assss I ssssuspected, Pressssident." The Snake smiled "Thessssessss guyssss were holding a party without you!"

"Wait, that's not true!" Snowanna protested, raising a hand in the air.

"Then what is thisssss?" said the reptilian boss as he looked about "We could hear your sssscreeching all the way from the casssstle!"

"Um, it didn't carry over THAT far, Snaky." Vanellope corrected, not noticing how angry Snowanna was getting "We just-!"

"I thought that you guyssss would know better than to hold partiesssss without inviting the MOSSSST IMPORTANT resssssident here." Snake continued, making sure that the ball was out of Snowanna's reach "But I guesssss I was misssstaken to give you that much credit."

"Like I said, this was just spur of tha moment. I didn't even know Nougie or Taffyta were gonna drop by today. So can we just-?"

"That would be sssssuch a sssssweet sssstory….if it were TRUE!" Snake laughed, pushing Snowanna back but having enough of the reptile's play, Lumi jumped forward.

"Hey, hey, HEY! Not every EVENT here has ta focus on Vanellope, Snake-Breath!" Lumi growled.

Vanellope twitched at Lumi's words, still a little sore from their first encounter. She crossed her arms against her chest, giving the boy a smug look.

"Well, don't be so welcomin', Gumby." The girl scoffed, Lumi's frown only growing "I mean, geeze! I was CURIOUS ta know what was goin' on but if ya really don't want us here-?"

"Nah, it's fine." Snowanna said as she looked at Vanellope "There's plenty'a room on tha beach for everyone. But I'm tellin' ya, we didn't plan a party just to not invite ya."

"Likely sssstory." Hissed Snake, Lumi resisting every urge to kick a nice gob of sand in his face.

"Look, we're playin' volleyball." The rainbow girl said as she thumbed back to the others "Wanna join?"

Vanellope seemed to open up towards the other girl "Really?"

"Yeah, I think with tha guys ya brought over we can still get an even team."

"Oh! Oh, okay!" Vanellope said, growing happier at the thought of playing in teams "Who's team should we-?"

"With you guyssss…." Snake broke in, stepping in front of Vanellope and cutting her off "It can be ssssix againsssst ssssix! Team Vanellope versussss the Cavitiessss."

Vanellope blinked, feeling smothered by Snake's great size as well as he words. Even though she knew he was only looking out for her well-being, she had wanted to join on Taffyta's team, hopefully to mend a few things together.

"Um, Snaky?"

"It will be the perfect time to sssshow thesssse guyssss what championssss can do." Snake said in pride, the others following him as he went down to the beach "I bet they have never facccced off againsssst anyone like you in volleyball!"

No sooner did Adorabeezle see Snake approaching did she let out a yelp and rush over to the other side, her sister following her.

"Lumi, what tha ho-hos is goin' on?" asked Candlehead, the boy coming down on her with a sour expression.

"We've been volleyball-jacked." He groaned, lips out in a pout "An' here I thought that day was gonna be FUN."

"Heroessss go firsssst." Snake said, tossing the ball at Vanellope. The girl caught it, looking a might worried.

"Um, I'm not that good at first serve."

"But Pressssident." Snake hissed "It would be an honor."

Vanellope took a breath, but as she went up to serve-

"HA!"

She only managed a light pat on the surface, the ball getting caught in the net.

Everyone looked at the ball as it lay in the sand, not one sure what to say.

"Told ya, I'm not really good with givin' serves like this."

"Here, let me handle it." Snake said, giving the ball a toss and swinging his tail for the hit "HA!"

Snake had made certain to hit the ball with a good amount of force, sending it to the other side at great speeds.

"Here it comes!" Snowanna said, ducking down in time to return the shot, the ball going high into the air as he crossed the net "Better get it!"

A star-decked girl was the next to hit, giving the ball a bat as it headed towards the back.

"Taffyta, give 'em a Sweet Serve!" Candlehead cheered but Snake let out a laugh.

"If Muttonflub ssssserves assss good asssss ssssshe drivesss than-!"

Than Snake was in for a BIG surprise.

Something went off in Taffyta as she lept into the air, her legs taking her HIGHER than anything Vanellope had ever seen.

"HAAAAA!"

With a strong SMACK, Taffyta sent the ball FLYING across the net, Snake crying out as he ducked his long neck down just in time for RAT to come into the byline of the ball.

"WHOO-!"

Rat managed to strike just in time but perhaps a bit too well, the ball going STRAIGHT into the air only to come down on a small angle, hitting the net in the middle.

"Our point!" Nougetsia cheered, much to the dismay of Snake.

"Oh, nice one." Vanellope smiled towards Rat, giving him a thumbs-up. The rat smiled at the girl, indeed enjoying the time he was spending with the racers.

"Huh, think I can hit it to tha moon next time? I'd LOVE ta tr-!"

"Rrrrgh, you think that wassss FUNNY, Muttonflub!?" growled Snake as he leapt before the lot, nearly knocking his rat cohort over.

Lumi put his hands behind his back and grinned "Would it curdle yer coils if I said yes?"

"First off." The strawberry girl scowled, tapping her foot in the sand "The name is MUTTONFUDGE. After this I won't be answering to anything else from you. An' SECOND-!"

"SSSSECOND, sssstop CHEATING, you little BRAT!" the serpentine character snapped, lashing out at the other team.

"'Just cuz ya can't aim worth jack-fruit doesn't mean anyone is cheatin'." Lumi said matter-of-factly as he marched up to the creature, the net separating them both.

"Of coursssse you'd come to her aid, Gumbo!" the creature hissed, clutching the volleyball so hard in his claws it nearly popped "Just can't stand lossssing can you!?"

Snake tossed the ball back towards the other team, the gummie-themed boy picking it up and bouncing it in his palm.

"Considerin' tha score is US one, you ZERO I don't think we're the ones who are SORE in the scales."

" _ **WHY YOU-!"**_

Now Vanellope jumped into the fray, pushing Lumi back "Lay it off, Luni! Snake was only tryin' ta-!"

"Ta do what? Say we're cheatin' again?" the boy said "That seems to be his only MO since he keeps repeatin' it over an' over!"

Before anyone knew what was going on, a fight between the four began, the others left in awe as they watched one vanilla racer, one strawberry racer, a gummie-boy and a large snake argue with each other. To say the least it was an awkward position to be in the, those on the sidelines not sure whether to intervene or just watch.

"Aurgh, an' here I was. Hopin' to have a nice day out." Snowanna moaned, slapping her forehead.

Even the birds in the trees flew away from the noise down below, the bitterness around taking away from the sweet moment.

"Sssso you want to sssshow off your talentssss?" Snake hissed as he took the ball into his hands "Then go FETCH!"

Snake attempted to send the ball towards Adorabeezle, the terrified girl screaming out as the creature STRUCK the ball as hard as he could towards her but like Taffyta she was quick on her feet as well. She screamed and ducked just an INCH away from the ball as it landed on the sand but BOUCNED with great force onto a tree, ricocheting off the trunk and RIGHT into Snake's face!

" _ **OOOOOW!"**_

Into the air it went until it landed with a splash in the water, bobbing up and down in the soda waves.

"Well….there goes our ball." Nougetsia said, putting her arms behind her head. Snake was kneeling on the sand, a hand on his red nose.

"Um, need me ta get that for ya Snaky?" Vanellope asked, seeing the bruise forming on his snout.

"I'll get some ice." Snowanna said as she ran back to her cottage. Lumi took a look towards the water, seeing the ball bobbing about.

"An'…..an' I'll get the ball."

The boy trudged out to the ocean, swimming to the ball and getting it with ease.

"Man, all this trouble an' for what?" the boy thought to himself "Stupid snake-head an' his stupid snake-face sayin' stupid stuff an' stupid, stupid, STU-!"

Lumi was about to his the surface of the water once again but he noticed something a-twinkling in the depths below.

"Huh?" he asked curiously as he tried to see the item "What….what's that?"

The boy looked around, seeing that those back on the shore were far too busy attending Snake's injury to notice him. With the volleyball still in his hand, Lumi took a deep breath and dove under the waves. A few fishes swam by as he kicked through the water, his mind bringing up moments of when he used to swim near his own home.

" _Wow, look at this place!"_ he thought to himself _"It feels so cool feelin' all these bubbles around! I never wudda thought that-!"_

The shiny bit hit his eyes again, the boy looking down to see some oddly colored rocks.

" _What are those?"_

He gave a good glance but air was needed, his lungs starting to burn. He kicked his way back to the surface, inhaling a large amount of air.

" _ **HOO!"**_

"Lumi!"

The boy turned, Candlehead waving towards him "Lumi, over here!"

"Candlehead! Taffyta!"

"What is it?" the strawberry girl cried, Lumi swimming back towards the group, ball in tow.

"I-! I saw somethin'!"

"Ya saw, WHAT?"

"I…I dunno EXACTLY!" the boy said, excited again "But-! But it looked like some sorta hidden somethin' somethin'-!"

"Somethin'-somethin'?" Taffyta said in confusion "Aaaah, I'm gonna need a lil more clues than that, Lum."

"Oh, ya gotta dive deep ta see it but even I can't make it without needin' air!" the boy said "But it looked like a buncha rocks stacked in some sorta formation!"

"An-! *snort!* and what isssss ssssso sssspecial about THAT?!" Snake hissed in anger "There are plenty of rocksssss on the ocean floor. What makessss one different than the other?"

"It's-!"

The boy looked over at Taffyta, remembering their plan.

"It's like what happened at tha track! Tha paper! Our symbols!"

Vanellope turned around, catching onto what Lumi had said "Symbols? WHAT symbols?"

Now LUMI was the one who realized he had spoken out of turn, all eyes going to him.

"D-d-Did I SYMBOLS?" the boy laughed nervously, his mind in a scramble to recover from his goof "I meant-! Thimbles! There were…TONS of thimbles on the track when I crashed into the ground an'-!"

Vanellope wasn't buying the story, moving closer to the boy "C'mon, Loo-Gee. Ya wouldn't be fibbin' ta a PRESIDENT, would ya?"

They boy wrinkled his nose, putting his arms behind his back "Do ya know one, PRINCESS?"

"Lumi, AURGH!" Taffyta moaned, pushing the two away from each other "Go back a bit. WHAT did ya find?"

"I told ya, there's somethin' funny 'bout tha rock formations down there." Lumi said, trying to act as if Vanellope were not around "It looks like somethin' someone took from another game an' patched ontop'a this one!"

This WAS intriguing, the strawberry girl rubbing her chin as she pondered the possibilities of the discovery.

"How deep is it?" she asked.

"Really deep. Like, if we wanna find it for ourselves we're gonna need scuba gear ta get to it!"

"I don't have any…." Snowanna said "An' tha only shops around that have some are all tha way back in the main village!"

"Hold on a moment…." Lumi said "I know ya can dive deeper than me, Snowy!"

"What, ME?" the girl said in surprise "Ya really think I can?"

Already memories of Snowanna were starting to flood through the boys mind but he remembered to hold his tongue back, as not to give away too much information especially while in the presence of Vanellope and her 'friends'. He HAD to find a way to lead the girl to the water without spoiling too much, without giving Snake something to sink his teeth in.

"I wanna know, kiddo." Snowanna said again "What makes ya think I can dive that well?"

"Um-!"

What could he say, what could he say?

"I-I heard it from Swizzle!" the boy blurted out "Swizz told me, yeah!"

"Swizzle?" Snowanna said in confusion.

"Y-Yup, he said ya could-! Uh, dive deeper than any creature in tha ocean an' ya were so good-!"

The more Lumi tried to say, the more tangled he was becoming with his own tongue and with the way Snake was looking at him, he could tell the reptile was waiting for him to slip, waiting for that moment he would mess up. But Lumi wasn't going to make that mistake again, not in front of the other racers.

"If I go out with ya, do ya think ya can do it?" asked the boy.

"I-I dunno…" the girl said nervously "It's not like I've done this stuff before. Even when Turbo was around, I didn't do that much divin' by myself."

"It'ssss because sssshe _**CAN'T**_ do it." Snake hissed in anger, Snowanna yelping as she moved away from the creature "I'd be ssssurprissssed if you came up at all if you went under water, Rainbone! We're better off just letting Vanellope glitch her way do there and-!"

"But I won't know where I'm goin'." Vanellope said "I mean, I could glitch down….but if I don't know where ta pin-point what I'm lookin' for, I'll just be goin' in blind."

Snowanna felt a jolt going through her spine; something about Vanellope's last word brought forth her own memory, something very important.

" _B-Blind?"_

Lumi looked over, seeing the snocone girl becoming lost in the distance, her eyes flashing over "Snowy?"

There was something to the words Vanellope had spoken that triggered something in Snowanna's mind, a faint and foggy memory coming to. At first, all she could see was King Candy and his forced doting on her whenever she tried to show him something from the beach but second by second, the image of Candy began to glitch over, another figure taking his place.

"AH!" Snowanna cried, holding her head as she dropped to her knees in pain.

"Snowanna!" Adorabeezle yelled in concern as she ran over to her friend and placed her hands on her back "What's wrong?! Are you okay!?"

"She'sssss faking it." Snake said cruelly, turning in such a way that he kicked sand on the girl "Sssshe'ssss probably upsssset that sssshe can't sssswim assss good assss Vanellope and-!"

"Snake, not now!" Rat said as he tugged at his friend's arm "There's something wrong with the kid! She needs HELP!"

Something was indeed wrong with Snowanna, her head feeling as if it were starting to split as memories she had come to accept over the years were being tossed about and changed. Now, all memories of King Candy prior to the game being plugged in were shifting, revealing someone else below.

" _M-Mama?"_

Mama?

Snowanna could see a female figure, one short and plump with fluffy hair that looked like the sweet cream on top of a sundae. Like her, the woman wore glasses but there were something about her eyes. Even through the colored frames, the woman's eyes looked different, clouded and muted and yet she still smiled at the little girl below here.

" _I found this for you, mama!"_

" _For me, baby?"_

" _Yes, mama! It's for you!"_

" _It feels so smooth, like pearls. But the back! It's such a pretty shell!"_

" _Yes, it's a rainbow shell!"_

" _Does it look as beautiful as your hair?"_

" _Oh, mama!"_

"Mama!" Snowanna cried out again, jumping on her feet. Taffyta looked at the others, a small nod about her head. This was it; the very thing she was looking for but she never expected a reaction such as this. Snowanna was still looking around, her whole body shaking as if she were in a panic.

"Snowy, tell us what-!"

"Mama!" the girl repeated "Mama! Sh-she was BLIND!"

Vanellope stepped back, startled not just by the statement but Snowanna's mention of her mother, IF she had one.

"Your mom?"

The girl turned towards the ocean and then looked at Lumi, grabbing his hand before he could utter a syllable.

"Take me out there!" the girl said "Take me ta where ya found all'a this!"

"Whoa, okay!"

It didn't take long for Lumi and Snowanna to make it to the spot where the boy had taken his dive, his fingers pointing towards the location.

"Down there!" he said "I don't know what it is, but-! But we just gotta uncover it! We gotta find out what it is!"

"Alright. I'll go down." Snowanna nodded "I'll give a tug on my line if somethin' comes up, okay?"

Lumi nodded as he watched Snowanna dive and just as he had guessed, she was able to swim much further and stronger than he could. It didn't take the girl long to come across the oddly patterned stone formation, her eyes scanning the area.

" _That Lumi kid is right!"_ she thought _"These rocks! They don't belong here! It's like someone picked 'em up from a whole different location an' just THREW 'em here ta cover somethin' up!"_

If that were the case then why? Why go through so much trouble to hide something?

If Turbo were behind this, then that was more than enough reason.

Snowanna began to pull the rocks away from each other, finally uncovering a single stone with a familiar shape upon its surface.

" _That's-! That's my symbol!"_

Snowanna's racing symbol was etched on the rock, the girl moving closer as she placed her palm on it but the moment she did, it sunk deeper into the ground. The area began to quake, Snowanna looking about as more bubbles formed around her.

" _Whu-oh…"_

She swam at top speeds back to the surface, Lumi looking about in worry.

"Snowanna?!"

"Whoo-! What's happenin'?!" the girl gasped as she broke the surface.

"I-I dunno!"

There was a scream from the beach, the two looking to see the people scurrying away from the top of the hill as a massive formation of sugar sea glass and sand because to rise from unground, Snowanna's cottage caught in the avalanche.

" _ **AUUURGH! MY HOME!"**_

Lumi slowly sank into the water; he had wanted to explore but he never expected THAT to happen!

"That is…that is NOT my fault! NOT MY FAULT! I was here an' I didn't touch ANYTHIN'!"

Those on the beach dashed away as fast as they could, not wanting to get caught in the cascading sand or falling trees.

"Aaarrugh! What is happening?!" shouted Snake, Rat pulling him back before he was buried in sand.

"I dunno, but I think it would be best if we got outta tha way!"

The ground continued to shake and reform as the entire beach took on a whole new shape and as the quake finally stopped…

" _Whooooooooa!_ "

Candlehead looked in awe at the giant sugar seaglass formation, a prism of rainbow colors showing through the facets as the sunlight glowed through. She was the first of the bunch to step into the formation, Taffyta reaching out for her.

"C-C-Butt! WAIT!"

Vanellope glitched after the girl but she stopped dead in her tracks, completely in awe by what she saw.

"Wh-! What is this place?"

It was indeed a question for the ages as once everyone gotten their feet back on the beach, they all wanted an answer.

"All I wanna know is who's gonna fix my house?!" Snowanna said, her top concern being where she was going to sleep for the night.

"I'm sure Felix can fix it…ONCE we can figure out what this is." Vanellope said, looking up at the huge formation. She then turned towards Lumi "Gumbo?"

The boy gave the girl an annoyed glint "Gumbettino."

"Whatever it is, think ya know what it is?" the girl asked, poking the boy in his forehead "I mean, that seems ta be your talent for this."

"Hey, stop-!"

"Vanellope, stop." Taffyta said, her voice echoing off the walls "Lumi will tell us. Ya don't have to force it outta him like that."

The vanilla racer put her hands on her hips, still bothered to how the strawberry girl was defending the boy.

"Okay, is Mr. Game Genie ready now?"

"Vanellope, c'mon!"

"Um, I really don't know WHAT this is." Lumi said, the others turning towards him.

"But I thought ya knew EVERYTHIN', Mr. Gumbo. I mean, ya sure did pop off like ya did!"

"Wait, so this isn't somethin' from your game originally?" Rat asked, Lumi shaking his head a 'no'.

"Uh-uh. Don't recognize it. Snowanna?"

The girl shook her head as well "Nothin' I've ever seen before."

"Then…" Taffyta thought, the gears in her brain turning "Even if it has nothing to do with the code originally yet it's still here…..I betcha TURBO put this in!"

At the very mention of Turbo, Vanellope glitched in fear again.

"Turbo?" Adorabeezle said in surprise "You really think so?"

"Ya know how sneaky that guy was. I wouldn't be surprised that this is part of something he set up as well!"

"Funny you sssshould mention that yoursssself, Muttonflub." Snake hissed, his trust in the racer reaching a whole new low "It'ssss assss if he may have told you thissss info long ago."

The girl stood tall against snake, her nose going in the air "Ya think if he told me this, I'd miss a chance ta bring this place up? I mean, sorry 'bout your house Snowy but ya gotta admit this place DOES look cool."

"COOL. And here's hoping its not BOOBY-TRAPPED then." Nougetsia shivered, looking down at the ground and the walls. Who knew that if the wrong pad was touched, SUGAR SPIKES could come shooting out?

Candlehead and Adorabeezle approached a panel, looking at some odd colored buttons and what seemed to be speakers affixed to the walls.

"You think this could be some sort of radio or something?" asked the smaller popsicle girl.

"Or maybe a gate?" asked Candlehead.

Snake and the others hung in the back but the reptilian leader of the bunch was growing impatient. There was just something about the way the kids were going on by themselves that didn't sit well with him, especially how close Taffyta was the center of this. He knew he had to do something to get the others out and away from the area but what?

"Muttonflub!"

The strawberry girl said nothing, her back still turned to him.

"Muttonflub."

Taffyta scowled but she kept to her word, refusing to respond to Snake until she was called by her PROPER title.

"Ya lil brat, answer me!"

"So Candlehead." The pink racer said, ignoring what Snake had said to her "Ya think we should get Swizz on this again?"

"Don't act assss if you're innocent in thissss, Muttonflub." Snake-Oil growled "Sssssomething tellsssss me you knew about thissss the whole time!"

Taffyta couldn't help but go back on her own promise, turning towards the reptile "I already told ya, how could I know about this an' NOT bring it up? A palace, or whatever this place is, would be such a thing ta waste!"

"Becausssssse you were alwaysssss Turbo'sssss little favorite! I bet you know all hisssss tricksssss!"

Lumi rolled his eyes "Ya really can't think of anythin' else, can ya?"

"Hmmph. Prove me wrong. Prove me that Muttonflub hasssss nothing to do with thissss."

"Um, I don't know how THIS works. Is that good enough for ya?" the girl said, hitting the panel with her hand "Lookie-dee! I'm pressin' BUTTONS!"

"Taffyta, stop that!" Vanellope gasped, waving her hands around "One of those things might be connected a nuclear code or-!"

"I'm jusssst telling you, Pressssident. There is sssssomething I do not trusssst about thissss place." The snake said as he took Vanellope and pulled her back "It makesssss my sssscalesssss quiver. It hasssss Turbo and Muttonfudge written all over it!"

Taffyta turned red in the face; when would Snake ever stop blaming her for EVERY bad thing that happened in the game? It was bad enough that people turned on her once Vanellope had returned but at this point it was becoming more and more clear that Snake and other people like him were just REACHING for reasons to bash the girl. Once more, the incentive to prove that she wasn't just a blockage to Vanellope's progress was lit anew and she looked at the panel, moving closer to it.

"What do you think this can do-?

 _ **OOOOOOOooooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooo!**_

Everyone stopped, the racers yelping as Taffyta's voice ECHOED across the halls of the sugar sea-glass tunnel, every edge and surface turning colors. It was so mesmerizing that even Snake had to stop and admit to himself he had never seen such a beautiful effect.

"What…. Wassss THAT?"

"I don't know." The strawberry racer said as she moved closer to the panel again. She tapped the area that she thought was a speaker, the ends of her hair starting to curl in realization "AH!"

"Ah, what?"

"It's….it's a MIC!" the girl said, her eyes bright "It's not a speaker! It's a MICROPHONE!"

"Really?" Nougetsia said, walking closer. She then sang her own note "Aaaaaaaah!"

 _ **AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!**_

The note echoed through the tunnel again, the rainbows returning but the panel made a buzzing sound, all eyes going towards it.

"Oh, that doesn't sound too good."

"If I were to take a guess…."

Everyone turned around, seeing Snake's star-girl companion walking from the middle of the crowd.

"Something tells me that this may be a musical lock!"

"A whatical lock?" said Vanellope.

"It may require someone to sing in order to unlock whatever is on the other side and if that beep is any indication, we have spent another one of our turns."

"Then…how many turns do we have LEFT?" asked Lumi, looking around as he saw a few lights blinking on the panel.

"I see seven lights….two are already blinkin'." Said Candlehead "Ya think that's it?"

Snowanna looked at the rainbow colored lights, each one of course representative of the colors found in the rainbow, a pattern she knew the most about.

"Yeah. Yeah, I think this is it!"

"Look around for some clues!" Vanellope said "If we get tha right thing, we can get inside!"

"Not a problem, Pressssident!" Snake said as he rushed forward, pushing Adorabeezle into Snowanna rudely "Let ussss take care of thissss for you! We can ssssearch it out in no time!"

The two girls exchanged looks, the ice girl frowning sadly as Snowanna helped her back onto her feet.

"Ya two okay?" asked Lumi.

"Sure." Said Snowanna, eying Snake again "Just gonna make sure we don't get in the way."

It wasn't as if the group had a lot of places to search in the tight space but they made sure to check and double-check. Vanellope glitched to a few places but could not find any dead spots, everything solid.

"Well, if it ain't here…."

"Hmmmm…." Nougetsia thought to herself, looking around the room "It all goes with a song. Otherwise the lock wouldn't act like that."

"Ya think it could be tha theme song?" asked Candlehead, Nougetsia giving a shrug.

"Worth a try, I guess. But the only question is WHICH part of our song? I mean, it's so long!"

"Guess you're right about that."

Snake snorted "Of course you'd make a terrible obsssservation like that, Placeholder."

"Are there any other songs that are important here?" asked Rat "Something like a, er, a jingle of a character theme or-!"

"WAIT! That's it!" Vanellope shouted "King Candy did have an anthem, remember guys!"

"How could we forget?" Taffyta moaned, rolling her eyes "He made certain that we remembered it or he'd send us to the Fungeon."

Vanellope looked a little surprised by the fact "…Really? I-I just remember seein' ya guys singin' it every mornin' an-"

Taffyta was taken aback by the vanilla racer's reaction to the reveal but she wasn't going to let her off that easily. She once again crossed her arms against her chest, huffing.

"Still think he treated us like his own children, PREZ?"

"You know Candy's theme?" Lumi asked as he peered over to Vanellope "I sure as heck don't since I was in my box all this time…"

"Yeah, I caught it enough times over tha years." The girl said.

"Then you're the perfect one to ssssing it!" Snake said, taking Vanellope and thrusting her towards the microphone "I mean, if there isssss anyone who can open sssssomethiing here, it'sssss you!"

"Er, why me?"

"You do rule thissss game after all." The Snake said, smiling greasily at the girl once more "And if there issss anyone with a voice angelic enough to break through…."

The other racers looked at Vanellope; things were apparently in her hands now.

"Might as well go ahead and try." sighed Taffyta "The game won't react to anyone but you, ya know."

"Er, that's very reassurin', TAFF." The vanilla racer said as she approached the microphone, clearing her throat "Alright, here goes!"

Snake gave the other racers a snide look, his contempt aimed directly at Snowanna.

"Sssso, you want to hear what REAL ssssinging sssssounds like, Placeholder?"

The rainbow-haired girl held her tongue, not wanting to break Vanellope's concentration.

"Go ahead, Presssident. Sssin-!"

 _ **AAAAAAAAAAAAH! KING CAN-DEEEEE! Glor-EE-UUUUS CANDEEEEE!**_

Vanellope had only started singing for three seconds and already the others were feeling the urge to run out.

 _ **Heee pro-tects YOU! An' MEEEEEEE-!**_

 _ **HEE'S AW-ER BEACON N' SUUUUN!**_

 _ **HE'S ALWAYS SO MUCH-! FUUUUUUUUUUN!**_

 _ **CANDEEEE! CANDEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!**_

"Um, at least she's TRYIN'?!" Lumi said, his ears covered as Vanellope continued to wail badly.

Apparently, the characters in the cave were not the only one's reacting badly to Vanellope's song, the entire area flashing quickly as each sour note bounced off the walls, threatening to send the place into sugar SHARDS!

 _ **OOOOOOoooooOOOOOOOOOoooooooOOOOOOOOH!**_

"VANELLOPE!"

The girl stopped, Taffyta pulling her back.

"Um. I don't think those were the right words."

The girl looked down, the panel hitting not one miss but hitting FOUR, leaving just but one chance left for the kids to unlock the riddle of the cave.

"HEY!" Vanellope cried out "My singin' ain't that bad!"

Even Snake was effected by the mewling but he of course did not want to upset his 'President', slithering up to her all the while making certain that the hearing returned to his left ear.

"O-Oh coursssse not, Vanellope." He hissed nervously "it'ssss jussssst-! Er….."

Lumi turned away and snickered, waiting to hear the excuse for this; what could it possibly be that made it the fault of the puzzle and not Vanellope?

"I guess thisssss thing just cannot handle your voice."

"Ya THINK?!" Vanellope cried up, throwing her arms in the air in frustration "Oooh, that was TERRIBLE! I think tha zombies the next game over heard me an' they probably wanna be deader than dead after that!"

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Nelly." Candlehead said in an encouraging voice "Just-!"

Before the girl could finish, Snake shoved her out of the way "Just leave this ssssstupid place be. If _**YOU**_ can't get into it, it musssst not be worth invesssstigating anyway."

"Oh, but we can't leave it here!" Snowanna said "'Sides, it crushed my house so maybe if we crack it, it'll finally put everything back into place?"

"Do that on your own time, Rainbone." Snake hissed as he began to lead the others away "It's jusssst a sssstupid puzzle. Who caressss?"

" _Funny how excited ya were to find out about it when ya thought Vanellope could solve it."_ Lumi snickered to himself Snake not catching his words.

"Snaky, wait." Vanellope said, glitching her way out of his hold "We got on more chance. I wanna see if someone can figure this out."

"Maybe we SHOULD get Swizzle." Said Nougetsia "He could at least send this thing back down, probably."

"It'ssss hopelesssss for you, Cavity." Snake said, looking right at the frosty girl with a cruel glare "How are you going to figure thissss out in one try?"

Vanellope stepped forward, moving Snake away from the racer "I didn't give up after one try when I tried getting' inta tha races. Sooooo, maybe-?"

"But what'sssss the sssssong? And who's going to sssssing if you can't?"

"Who said it just had to be Vanellope?" Taffyta said tartly, spinning a lollipop between her fingers "I don't see any signs sayin' the rest of us can't join in, do _**YOU?**_ "

Snake glowered at the girl coldly as it was true he did not know the rules of puzzle himself but he was not going to let the Muttonfudge get the better of him.

"Then why don't you try, Ssssmarty?!"

Taffyta looked around, knowing she didn't have a snow-cone's chance in Hot Rock Valley at guessing the game any closer than Vanellope, nor did she have the vocal voracity needed.

That meant…

" _Snowy?"_

Everyone looked, seeing a tiny girl stepping forward but not to sing….but to encourage another to do so.

" _Snowanna?"_

The racer looked down, Adorabeezle clutching her hands nervously but still she smiled. She smiled because there was something inside of her telling her to speak up, to talk to Snowanna.

"Um….maybe…..maybe this is for you?"

"What do ya mean, Beezie?"

"If….if there's anyone where that-that can solve a puzzle like this. I-It's you." the small girl said nervously. Snake looked offended by the suggestion, racing over to the blue ice-girl.

"But we have one chancccce left and you want to wasssste it?!" the reptile said loudly, his voice echoing off the walls.

Adorabeezle shrank down; she knew that Snake was very formidable and had all the strength to knock her clear across the arcade with ease but she took one look at her sister…

And Nougetsia nodded, giving her support.

"I-I don't think it'll be a waste!" Adorabeezle finally spoke up, her voice breaking a bit "I-I know Snowanna can do it! I've heard her sing before and-! And it's the most beautiful music I've heard!"

Everyone in the cave paused, Snowanna looking the most embarrassed of all. Her brown cheeks blushed bright red but the small girl stood by her side, trying her best to stay brave in the situation.

"B-Beezie, I-I just don't-!"

"C'mon, Snowy! Ya can do it!"

The girl turned, Candlehead giving her support as well.

"Yeah! Your singin' sounds like-! Well, it sounds like what cake taste like! SWEEEEEET n' good!"

"You like songs n' rainbows." Smiled Nougetsia "So maybe Beezie is right an' you can crack this!"

Taffyta and Lumi exchanged looks but they both smiled, Lumi stepping forward.

"Hey, ya showed us your talents back at your house." The boy winked "Give it a try."

Suddenly, another moment of clarity came to the girl. Remembering 'three' she recalled a song, an old song that had always been in the back of her head. She never knew where it came from or what it even meant but for the past fifteen years she had sung it to herself though there were two words that were missing. She always went back to the start of the song, the lyrics fresh in her mind but as she rounded the two missing words.

" _What can it mean?"_

"Snowy?" Vanellope asked "Are ya okay?"

The rainbow girl clutched her fist and stepped towards the mic.

"I-! I think I know what part ta sing!"

"Then go ahead!" said Taffyta "Do it!"

"Don't messsss thisssss up, Rainbone." Snake said, growling at the girl "Otherwissssse it will be _**YOUR**_ fault if sssssomething bad happenssssss to Vanellope."

The girl had to block of Snake's negativity, his bitter words taking the sweetness out of her mouth.

"It has to be short and sweet…." The girl said to herself "But it's tha message behind it."

She took in a breath.

 _We were both alone, but then we became two._

The room began to glow as the words were recorded into the microphone, the cave shimmering and shining.

 _But one day we were gifted with something new._

The cave began to shake, a high chime vibrating around.

 _Two is good, but then we became three!_

"Ssssshe got it wrong!" Snake shouted loudly, pointing towards Snowanna "Sssshe got it wrong! I KNEW ssssh'e would get it _**WRONG!**_ We're-!"

"Would you shut it for just a SECOND?!" said Taffyta, tugging on Snake's coat angrily "We're not even finished!"

 _Added one more heart to our family tree!_

The words began pouring from the girl's mind, feeling as if the song were playing around her! She became lost in the love of music, dancing about to the tune as it started to play around, the colored lights adding to her excitement.

 _Sweet as sugar, sweet as cream!_

 _We kept to our wishes, we kept to our dream!_

 _Never let go of that thing you hold dear!_

 _Don't let your dream slip away because of fear!_

 _It's only by the stars above we're here today!_

 _Singing this song!_

 _Snowanna, Barry, and Sundae!_

The door gave a loud chime, all the lights going out. Snowanna gave a shout as she jumped back into the other racers, the whole place twisting and turning.

"W-What's happening?!" Adorabeezle called out in fear, clutching both onto her sister and Snowanna but before anyone could reply the sea-glass cave began to warp again as did the entire beach!

"Whoa, LOOK!"

It was if the entire area rose from the sand, more palms stretching into the sky as the beach glitched and elongated. It began to curve, the shores taking on the form of a crescent shape and the hills grew with sugar orchids and other flowers.

"Oh my GOBS!" gasped Vanellope as she looked on, stunned by the transformation but it wasn't the only thing that was going on.

Snowanna stood in a trance, looking around as the entire area began to warp around her, the girl still as a statue, surrounding by sparkles and light.

"Sn-Snowanna?!"

The girl lifted off the ground, feeling a strange energy coming about her and then-!

 _ **BOOM!**_

Everything came into place, a light coming from her heart as she came back down onto the ground, a grand house rising behind her.

"WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!" said Candlehead as she looked at the house "That's a big house."

"Snowy! SNOWY!" Adorabeezle called to her friend, the girl kneeling on the sand "A-Are you ok-?!

" _Sundae Sonata…..Bartholomew."_

"What?"

" _Those…those are my parents_ ….those are my parents' names!"

Lumi looked in shock, his eyes opening wide.

"Yes! YES! Sundae and Barry Rainbau! They-!"

"We lived on this beach…." Snowanna continued, looking at her house "We…we lived here when we were off tour."

The images of her parents coming out the door filled her eyes, the girl walking closer to the house.

"We would swim on this beach…" the girl continued "I-! I remember! I remember givin' my mama that shell! She couldn't see it like the rest of us! But-! Her touch! Colors! That's how she knew I had rainbows in my hair! That's why I was her one an' only Rainbau! That's why-!"

She had to stop, too caught up in the memories. Her legs felt like Jell-O but she felt so happy, she felt so happy that she could finally remember it, that she could finally remember who she was!

"I'm Snowanna Rainbau!" the girl cried out, her hands reaching towards the sun "An' this is my home in Sugar Rush!"

A wave of excitement hit all the racers as they ran up the path to the massive house, looking in excitement as they explored the place. It was even larger and more grand than they could imagine, the place filled with so much music and color.

Those from outside the game slowly crept in, Vanellope leading them as she did not hold the same amount of excitement as her fellow racers. She was not upset nor mad but just stunned; stunned that there could be such a place in the game that did not belong to her.

"This….this is where Snowanna lived?"

She could feel something going off in her head as well, scant pictures but…

"I-!"

They didn't seem so happy, they didn't seem so grand.

Why could she not remember the same happiness that Snowanna held?

"Huh, this placcccce is nothing compared to your BEAUTIFUL, ELEGANT, ENORMOUSSSS PALACE, Pressssident." Snake said. Vanellope turned around, her stomach turning in knots.

"H-Huh?"

"I've been in better housssses before." The Snake said in a snooty tone, placing a hand upon a vase, tempted to just push it over and give the place a touch of his own 'redecorating' "Thisssss? Thissss is jussssst a cardboard box compared to your own home."

Vanellope said nothing, a few of the others doing the same. The vanilla racer just could not share the same sentiments as her fellow reptile because she knew it was wrong. It was wrong because she wanted to explore the place as much as the other children did and yet?

And yet she could not disappoint her new friends.

"There's a studio in here?"

"Of course, C-Butt!" Taffyta laughed, giving her friend a soft bop on the head "Snowy's parents are probably LOADED! They do so many concerts I'm surprised they don't have like a bajillion recording studios here!"

"Hey, maybe we can sing here!" said Nougetsia "And-! And we can learn to play instruments too!"

"Er, I'm not that skilled ta teach!" Snowanna said, embarrassed but flattered.

"But ya can give us some singin' lessons, right?" Lumi laughed jokingly "I'd like ta learn how ta use these pipes for somethin' other than screamin' 'bout fish!"

"Yeah!" said Adorabeezle, getting more excited than anyone had ever seen her before "I'd-! I'd love to sing with you, Snowy!"

"Really?" the girl said in a soft tone, her friend nodding.

"Yes! Yes, yes, YES! I wanna learn how to sing from the best!"

Snowanna looked over, seeing Vanellope standing some distance away. She gave the girl a playful smirk, motioning towards her.

"An' you, Nelly?"

"Me?"

"Yeah, I can make room for a few lessons." The snowcone girl smiled "Just in case ya hafta face any more singin' puzzles again!"

For some reason the vanilla racer felt a twinge of embarrassment come over. Maybe it was just the way Snowanna was smiling at her but…

"Hey!"

She didn't take well to the comment, crossing her arms and walking away.

"Vanellope?"

"Haha, tha President can't sing. It's so funny…." Vanellope grumped as she headed towards the door "I'll think I'll pass, SNOWANNA. Sugar Rush seems ta have its vocal talents covered with YA."

"W-wait, that's not what I meant!" Snowanna fumbled, hoping to clear the air but before she could Snake once again preempted her movements.

"Little sssshow-off!" he spat "Couldn't help ssssayin' ssssomethin' negative about Vanellope, could ya?"

"What?" the girl gasped "No! I was just jokin'! Havin' a lil fun!"

"Ssssure ya were. Maybe keep thosssse jokessss in that big ugly fro of yourssss, kid!"

And with that, Vanellope walked out of the door, the others following her with Snake giving Snowanna a threatening sneer. The girl felt her skin crawling again as Snake slammed the door, the racers left alone in the big house.

"What was THAT about?" asked Adorabeezle.

Taffyta's face looked as rotten as Snake's, her lip twitching "Bitter. Bitter like year old black licorice…."

Vanellope stomped her way back to her kart, feeling more than a little grumpy "S-So what if I couldn't sing tha puzzle inta place. Do they expect me ta do EVERYTHIN' around here?!"

"It issssss not your fault." Snake said in a comforting tone "That Rainbone jusssst got lucky."

Vanellope rolled her eyes "Yeah. LUCKY. Lucky that she had this place sprout outta than land like this."

"Maybe…maybe Turbo did hide some thingsssss from you guysssss but you cannot sssssay that if it were not for you, that fro-yo placeholder would not have her home."

"Well, I wasn't the one who dove in, Snaky."

"But ssssshe ssssshould be grateful for you!" the snake said "If it were not for you, ssssshe wouldn't have a place like thisssss. Ssssshe would sssstill be in that little ssssshack! That'ssss where sssshe belongssss!"

Vanellope looked back at Snowanna's 'new' old house again, the massive place basking in the sun and covering the girl with its great shadow. Even if her palace were big, the way that the Rainbau abode loomed over her made her feel so small, it made her home feel so unimportant even if it were the center of the game.

Maybe there was something more to this feeling, perhaps it being that with Snowanna's new home Vanellope had competition. That there were other places besides her palace that visitors could stand in awe over.

And a beach-side placement too? Snowanna was looking luckier by the second.

"Jussst let them play." Snake said "We have other more important thingssssss at the palace to worry about."

"Oh, I am worried…." Vanellope said as she got into her kart "Because if this happened, what else is hidin' around here?"

With the vanilla racer gone, the other racers continued their tour of the Rainbau's home, each discovery they made more eye-opening than the next.

"Look at all these guitars!" Candlehead said, her mouth drooling at the candy-coated instruments "They almost look good enough ta eat!"

Lumi laughed, pulling the girl away "Woah, there Candles. I know they look good but don't set your chompers on 'em. I don't think Snowy would be too happy 'bout that."

"This is amazin'…"

The kids turned, seeing Snowanna kneeling towards a pile of old boxes, her hands clutching one in particular.

"Snowy?"

Adorabeezle could see the girl trembling as she slowly crept up to her, Snowanna's brown skin coated in goose-pimples.

" _All these years…."_ Snowanna said, her voice shaking _"All these years, I was hearin' mama's voice. An' I never knew?"_

The Sugar Rush theme; Lumi had mentioned that it was Sundae and her band that was singing it but only once the reveal had been given did they take into account what everything now meant. Snowanna had always loved the song and would sing it at any chance she got, telling the others that she felt so good to hear it play and with the reveal that her parents had wrote it, perhaps that was the reason why.

Taffyta felt her stomach sink, remember that while she and the others may have liked the song there was someone in particular who wasn't too fond of it.

King Candy.

" _Hmmp, the tune is 'cute' enough….but to have it play all day? All the time? I wonder what squeaky-voiced tart they paid to belt this out!"_

It pained the girl even more to know that Turbo had INSULTED the very song that Sundae had written for her daughter and perhaps that was why he had hidden the stories from them. If Snowanna had known, if any of them had known, they would have rejected him. They would have QUESTIONED him so he HAD to lock away their memories, he HAD to take away everything that made the racers who they were.

The only question was why things hadn't reset once Vanellope crossed the finish line. She had been reinstated as a racer and as a princess but if their stories had not returned to them in full it could only mean that something was still blocking the game. Turbo's grasp was still ahold of them and there was still so much to do.

"She's always been around…." Snowanna sniffled, holding a record with her mother's picture on the cover "She's….she's always been around but I never knew. I couldn't remember her voice. I could hear her song but I couldn't remember who she was…."

Snowanna finally broke down, the other racers rushing over to her.

"Snowanna!"

"Snowanna, it's okay!"

Adorabeezle held tight onto her friend, holding her for support "We're here, we're here…"

"But they're not." Snowanna choked, taking her glasses off to wipe her eyes "Our home came back but…but they're not here! They're not here!"

Candlehead and Taffyta turned towards Lumi, hoping that he had some sort of answer as it did seem strange that while many background elements of the game had returned once Turbo's lock had been unarmed, there were still characters missing. The boy gave the two girls a sad face and only nodded, not a word coming from his mouth.

He knew he had some parts of the story but that did not mean he knew everything that Turbo had done.

Snowanna shook with each crying breath she took, the flood of memories hitting her of her parents' voices, their smiles, their songs. It was just so wonderful to have back but while the voices were there, while the images in her head were there….the actual pixels were not.

Lumi knew what Snowanna was going through but he could only IMAGINE how much of an upheaval it felt to come back from two resets yet still have so many unanswered questions left at one's feet. He didn't know what to do, how to comfort her, as even if the programmed memories had the two knowing each other for a while, he didn't know how to comfort her at that moment. He was still new to her mind and he didn't want to take the risk in making things worse.

But then something happened.

Snowanna took a deep breath and stood up, the record clutched in her hands.

"Snowy?"

Without a word, the girl walked over to the sound system and took out the record, placing it on the turn table. The entire house was filled with sweet tunes, the children certain they could see a menagerie of rainbow-colored notes surrounding them. They shut their eyes, allowing the sound to envelope them like the warmest cocoon of cotton candy. There was so much peace as they heard the Rainbaus' sing around them, a great and welcomed calm that had not graced the game since it had been released from Turbo's clutches.

"This is so dreamy…." Adorabeezle said, her heart fluttering as Snowanna's melodic voice fluttered gracefully through the air.

"Better than even the richest of ice-cream." Said Nougetsia, her smile growing.

Taffyta opened her eyes, seeing the others still in their little trance. She reached out and took Candlehead and Lumi by their shoulders, pulling them out of the room.

"What is it, Taff?" asked the boy, turning to see the smile on the strawberry girl's face.

"This is just the start…" she said, something glowing in her eyes "This is just the start guys an' soon? This game will be back in our hands!"

Even hours after the sun had set, the music of the Rainbau's drifted through the air of the entire land. The candy people stopped where they stood, their ears filled with the familiar tunes as their worries began to lift from their shoulders, their bodies feeling light.

They too remembered the songs, they too remembered the happiness it brought to them.

"Just noisssse….." hissed Snake, pulling the curtains of the massive windows of the palace as he and his friends walked through the halls with Vanellope "All of that issss jusssst sssstupid NOISSSSE!"

"Yeah, Rainbaus?" snickered Felia "How about Rain-BOO! They stink!"

"Sounds like a symphony of farts!" laughed Baston.

"Hahaha! So the family is as bad as their worthless daughter! No wonder Vanellope is the head of the game!"

Soon the others were laughing as well, trading insults with each other at Snowanna's song.

All except for Vanellope.

"Pressssident?"

The girl turned, Snake smiling down at her but she did not return the expression.

"A-ah, huh?"

"Why don't we head out to Tapper'ssss? Get away from that horrible sssscreeching?"

Vanellope took another look out the window, seeing just how HAPPY the tiny candy NPCs were. She had never seen them so bright in MONTHS.

Or at least not since certain others had found their way in.

"Presssident?"

"Uh, yeah." The girl said meekily, an uncertain smile creeping on her face "L-Let's go."


	13. Chapter Twelve- Marked

Chapter Twelve: Marked

Perhaps it was a misjudgment on Vanellope's part to go to Tapper's when she did as it did not take long for the chatter amongst 'friends' to spread around the small establishment. Of course, what words that did come out of the mouths of the racer's new entourage around a certain snowy racer's new home weren't at all positive, many of the group laughing at how Miss Rainbau's home could 'never amount to the beauty of the Candy Castle' but the words still caught interest and before Vanellope knew what was going on…

"Ya wanna go where?"

"To Snowanna's place!" said someone from another game "We hear ya talk about it in Tapper's the other night and-!"

"Well-! Um…."

Vanellope blushed in embarrassment, suddenly realizing that privacy wasn't as strong as she had imagined or HOPED if people were now talking about what had happened in the game. She smiled though, not wanting to upset her fans.

"M-Maybe ya should ask HER?" the girl answered nervously, not sure what the other racer would say should she discover that people were now requesting TOURS of her place "I mean-! Sh-she's still gettin' used ta tha new place herself!"

Lllll

"YES!"

"What? YES?"

"Of course!" Snowanna beamed as she hopped up and down, the colors in her hair brighter than ever "Oh! This is just tha thing! Just tha thing I need ta start concerts!"

"Concerts?"

"Ah-huh! Concerts! It would be AMAZIN'!" the rainbow girl continued, feeling so giddy at the prospect of new visitors coming in to see her home and hear her play "Ooooh, thanks Nelly! This is GREAT!"

To say the least, Vanellope was shocked by the response she got as she did not expect Snowanna to react as she had but as more and more people began to visit she noticed a change in the racers. Slowly but surly, Snowanna was starting to act more confident, much more out-going than she had in the previous months and EVERYONE on the track was talking about it.

"They like it!" Snowanna laughed in amazement as she told the others at the track of her tours "An' not just tha house! They really LOVE tha way I play!"

"Who wouldn't?" said Jubileena.

"You're songs are-" continued Citrusella.

"The sweetest!" the two finally finished, grasping their hands together.

"Aww, thanks a lot guys. That means so much…." The little racer giggled to herself, blushing a bit "It's just…well, it's just been so long since I remember feelin' like this. Just so happy ta be…ME."

"An' ya have EVERY right!" Taffyta popped in, putting her arm around the racer as she smirked "After all Snowy, this isn't Vanellope Rush. 'Bout time this arcade saw that real talent doesn't come as a glitch."

Maybe it was Taffyta's inner workings that made her say that or perhaps she knew, she KNEW that Vanellope was just around the corner and listening in on the conversation. The vanilla racer turn redder than a hot rock, feeling the steam pouring from her ears as anger took over but there was another feeling brewing from within. Surprisingly it wasn't sadness upon hearing Taffyta refer to her as 'The Glitch' once more but something much crumbier, something much bitterer.

And Taffyta was loving EVERY moment of it.

Snowanna on the other hand? Snowanna had was now having the time of her life.

She could not remember the last time people had lined up to hear her sing, to hear her play and to finally do something she enjoyed. It wasn't just the little NPCs who came to hear her sing now; day after day the crowd from OUTSIDE the game grew, introducing Snowanna to faces she had never seen as well as face she HAD seen-

But whom only months before had only seen her as 'another racer who had bullied Vanellope'.

The tables had turned but they had turned in a way that benefited EVERYONE, Snowanna finally getting the freedom to create her music as she wanted and the arcade to see the missing talents of one little girl.

Snowanna had never played so lovely, she had never sang so loudly and among the other arcade citizens, her fellow racers watching as well.

But Vanellope lurked in the back. She continued to stand in the shadows of the massive crowds, drowned out and forgotten as all she could hear were Snowanna's name being repeated over and over again.

Not too long ago, those same people were cheering HER name, those same people were giving Vanellope her praise.

And the racers?

They never looked so happy in their lives, watching Snowanna play her all. But they were happy without Vanellope, none of them asking where she was, how she felt, or how she even liked the music.

So she remained in the shadows, the creeping loneliness of being 'just the glitch' returning to her.

Why was she so upset? Why did she feel so jealous?

Why didn't any of this feel right?

* * *

"So how was work today, Sweetie?" Calhoun asked, rubbing Felix's stiff shoulders, the repairman moaning in pain as he rolled his neck.

"Had to clean off tha entire west side of Niceland AGAIN." The man groaned "SOMEONE honestly felt tha need ta write more graffiti on tha building'."

"Huh, an' ya didn't tell me?" tha Marine snorted, rolling her eyes "I cudda hunted em down an' brought 'em back FRIED for ya!"

" _ **THAT'S WHY I DIDN'T TELL YOU."**_

Suddenly the doors to the tea-room slammed open, Vanellope stomping in and muttering to herself in anger, a large cloud of grey hovering over her head.

"Oh-Hooo, settle down kid." Ralph said as she watched his friend lumber in, picking her up by the back of her hoodie "Had I not known any better, I'd say I was walkin' in."

"It's not fair! It's NOT FAIR!"

"What's not fair?" asked Calhoun.

"Ooooooh, Snowanna!" the girl mocked, rolling her wrist around "Your house is soooo cooooool! Oh, Snowanna, your house smells like unicorn farts! Snowanna this, Snowanna THAT!"

"Um, did we miss somethin'?" asked Felix, Vanellope glaring at him.

"Aw, c'mon! Don't tell me YOU haven't heard tha news of Snowanna Rainbau an' her pretty-pretty mansion by tha ocean!"

"Oh, her new house?" Calhoun said, rubbing her chin "Yeah, we _**HAVE**_ heard 'bout it. Just haven't had tha time ta take tha tour ourselves."

Vanellope screamed in frustration, pulling at her hair "EVEN YOU SARGE?! EVEN YOU WOULD BETRAY ME?!"

"Whoa, those are some big words kids." Said Ralph, placing Vanellope on the nearest chair "Start it from tha beginnin'. Maybe then we can get a better idea'a this."

"Where _**CAN**_ I begin?" the girl continued to fume, her arms folded against her chest as she pouted "That's stupid Lumi-Lime kid an' Taffyta-! They're tha ones who started all'a this."

NOW Ralph was interested and feeling rather upset. He still stood his grounds on his particular opinion on either racer and hearing that they may have had something to do with it-

"I show up at Snowy's old place an' they're already there, talkin' 'bout something'…" Vanellope went on "They bustle around with Snake an' us but then some brouhaha happens all undah da sea like an' before we know it! This-! This crystal cave thingie pops up that Turbo MUSTA set up, Snowy breaks tha code an' then her REAL home shows up?! Just like that?!"

Vanellope fell over, draping an arm over her eyes.

"Snowy havin' a home is good n' plenty I guess but-!"

"But what kid?" asked Ralph, looking down at his friend in worry.

"Ever since she got that house….Snowy an' everyone else has been actin' so WEIRD!"

"How so?"

"Ya just have ta see it yourself, Felix! Snowy's all chippy an' chirpy now an' EEEEEVERYONE in tha arcade wants ta go to her house now!"

Something went off in Calhoun's head, the Marine looking at the girl suspiciously.

"An'….that's a problem?"

"Well-! I mean, not too long ago tha same people wanted ta come ta tha palace an' NOW they just wanna see Snowy's place?! I mean-! I just-!"

Calhoun moved back, her own arms crossing in worry; she knew EACTLY what Vanellope was feeling but it was something that she knew wouldn't lead to anywhere good.

Vanellope was JEALOUS.

"Kid, hold on a sec…." Calhoun said as she put a hand on the girl's shoulder "Ya know, everyone is free ta hang out with WHO they want an' go where they wanna go, right?"

"Yeah." The girl nodded in agreement.

"An' if Miss Rainbau wants ta show people her home, there's no problem in that. RIGHT?"

Vanellope had to think twice, going over what she said and realizing just how far she had flown off the handle but either way something still didn't sit well with her.

"Sarge, I-I know it's cool for Snowanna ta be happy but-!"

"Yes?" the older woman said as she looked at the girl "But what?"

Vanellope went silent, feeling out of place with the words she had spoken. She looked around, her vastness of her own palace large but she had seen it all before. She was so used to it by now that it seemed so bland compared to Snowanna's newly placed home. Even if the beach-front villa was smaller than the castle Vanellope could only wonder what it was like to really live there, to really see the soda oceans and the crowds?

She knew it wasn't right to be so jealous of Snowanna, especially when she was so happy but something didn't sit well with the vanilla racer, that being just how EVERYHING had come together and fallen right into the snowcone's racers lap.

For Taffyta to find this Lumi kid and then strange things start to happen in the game? Maybe it had been Turbo's intentions to hide so many more things in the game but why NOW? Of all the times for things to happen, why now and why with Lumi or whatever his name was?

It couldn't have been a coincidence; there had to be MORE to this all and whatever was awaiting for Vanellope at the end of the tunnel? She knew it wasn't good.

"Kid?"

"Gah! Huh?!"

"Do ya wanna see Snowanna?" asked Felix, his voice indicating that he was trying to remain positive about everything "Maybe if ya two talked it out-?"

Vanellope felt unease again, her stomach filled with butterflies. This could be her chance to talk to Snowanna but after everything she had said she was now too nervous, scared that the wrong thing would be said and more than that, what if the girl were still upset with how BADLY the President had left her home? She hadn't told the three adults about _**THAT.**_

She knew she was stalling but Vanellope just could not muster up the courage to see the snowcone girl.

"Ehehe, tell ya what…" Vanellope lied, her face paling "Um. I'm SUUUUURE Snowy's still busy from all her guest. Let's just take one ta Tapper's tonight an' THEN we can see her in tha mornin'. It's Sunday after all so we'll have ALL tha free-time in tha….SUNDAY."

The adults knew Vanellope was trying to dodge the situation but FORCING her to go would only make things worse. Ralph sighed, putting a hand to his aching temples.

"Kay kid. If ya say so."

The group then made their way from the castle, Vanellope making short glances towards the road down to the ocean. Her legs felt like they were tugging her towards the path but another part of her body made her go towards the rainbow bridge. Whatever she thought, she just could not fight it.

"Uuurgh, maybe I need a sundae or two…." The girl moaned "Or three…."

Sundae?

Vanellope's stomach turned again; why did she have to say that name?

The next morning came a lot faster than Vanellope had hoped, the sun peaking in through her satin blinds only to remind her of the dread that was coming her way. She COULD make up another story to tell her friends why they couldn't go to the beach but she knew, especially with CALHOUN around, she'd never be able to get away with it.

She had sunk her teeth in, now she had to BITE and SWALLOW the plans she made.

Right on the dot the adults arrived, the group making the long, but peaceful, stroll down towards the beach.

"So um….kid?"

The little racer shuddered, turning to look at Ralph "Y-Yeah, Stink-Breath?"

"Now, with all'a this happenin'?" the Wrecker began "No one else has given ya trouble, right? I mean, Snowanna gettin' her house? She hasn't been doin' anythin' towards ya 'bout it, right?"

Felix jabbed the man hard in his shoulder, glowering up at him "Ralph, we talked about this before."

""Ey, I'm just askin' questions, Blue!"

"You're makin' ACCUSATIONS again, RED." Felix huffed "Why does every mention of tha kids from ya hafta be NEGATIVE?"

"Because I know what they did ta, Nelly. THAT'S why, Felix." Ralph said "It's nice that you're bein' sweet to 'em as is, Slim but ya still gotta watch out for 'em. Ya gotta watch out for ANY bu-!"

"Boys, ENOUGH." Calhoun said, snapping her fingers sharply "We're here ta VISIT. Not cause a demolition derby."

"Yes, dear." Felix sighed heavily, getting his thoughts back "Sorry 'bout that. Just don't wanna see anyone else fight, that's all."

Ralph snorted "Okay, okay. I get it too. I don't wanna rag on tha kids so much but I guess I'm still a lil edgy 'bout tha whole thing. I'd trust 'em a lot more if every instance I saw 'em didn't end with a screamin' match."

" _ **THIS IS TERRIBLE!"**_

The four jolted in their tracks, falling over each other as the screamed echoed through the path.

"Urgh, you were sayin' Red?" moaned Calhoun.

Felix looked up, gasping towards something in the distance "Oh my land!"

Four pairs of eyes looked towards the beach and four pairs of eyes were met with an INCREDIBLE sight.

Right before them on the path near the beach was Snowanna's house…but it wasn't the grand sight that Vanellope had described to them.

The beach-front villa was completely TRASHED, paint sloshed and sprayed all over, the beach littered with garbage, the trees covered in toilet paper, every single tropical plant up-rooted and destroyed. The four stood up but their mouths would not close, slack-jawed by the condition the house was in.

"What-? What HAPPENED?" asked Felix in worry, several varieties of Candy NPCs sharing the duties of cleaning up. The hero rushed towards the group, stopping by two choco-mint candies who were washing the walls.

"Felix, wait-!"

"Hey, ya guys!" Felix asked as he finally reached the sentient sweets "What-?! What happened here?"

The two candies looked at each other, huddling back a bit as if they did not trust the man.

"Hey, c'mon. Just tell me."

"W-We don't know too much." Said the first candy.

"W-What we do know…" continued the other "Miss Snowanna's house? Someone came by and-!"

"-An' did THIS to it!"

Felix whirled around, seeing none other than Taffyta Muttonfudge FUMING with rage as she stood on the beach with the others, cleaning gloves on and a large trash bag in her hands.

"They just couldn't resist, could they?! _**THEY JUST COULD NOT RESIST!"**_

"Miss Muttonfudge!" the Hero called as she ran towards the kids, worry etched on his face "Can ya tell me what happened?! Any info would be-!"

"They trashed Snowy's place!" the strawberry racer ROARED, her face as red as she signature fruit "They KNEW she was happy with this place so what did they do?! They tried ta ruin it, all because WE were happy for ONCE! They just couldn't STAND it!"

"Hold on there a moment, Sweet Stuff."

"WHOOO!"

Before Taffyta knew it, two strong hands took her around her waist, picking her off the ground as if she weighed nothing, those hands belonging to Calhoun.

"I know I'm USED ta barkin' out my orders but ya think ya can run that by us again? A lil more, how ya say, COMPOSED this time?"

Taffyta just BLINKED at the woman, not used to someone holding her in such a manner. Once she saw the look she was being given, Calhoun quickly realized she MAY have lost her chance.

"Ummmmm…" the woman said, holding Taffyta away from her "Felix? I think I broke tha kid."

The repairman turned and saw Snowanna sitting on one of the logs on the beach, her hands covering her face and her shoulders hunched up in sadness. The group made tow towards the racer, Felix slowly approaching her.

"Miss Snowanna?"

Already the man could hear the faint, hurt whimpers from the girl, her body shaking. He glanced back at the others, his concern growing deeper but he knew he had work to do and he sat next to her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Miss. Tell me what happened."

Snowanna looked over, her eyes welled with tears as she clutched onto her glasses. She glanced around at the others around her but when she saw Vanellope-

Stop.

FREEZE.

She went colder than a snowcone, fear showing clear in her eyes.

She couldn't say it, she just could not.

"I-it was nothin'."

"Sweetie?"

The girl looked over again, Felix frowning down at her in anger but he was not angry at HER. If anything, he was angry at the culprits who dare commit such a crime in the game.

"This ain't 'NOTHIN'." The man said, his voice coming out harsh "An' nothin' will get done if ya don't tell me tha truth."

"But-!"

"I wanna help ya, Miss Rainbau." The man said, his voice going softer "I really do but you're gonna HAFTA tell me tha truth of what happened here."

Still shaking like a leaf Snowanna looked down at her hands. Tears continued to roll down her cheeks and hit the rainbow lenses of her glasses and as she looked in them-

Perhaps it was her own poor vision or maybe it was something else but she could have sworn she saw them; her parents.

Sundae Sonata and Berry? She could see them? Were they there?

She could hear their voices, if but faintly, and she could feel the warmth around her but she knew it was just in her head. They were not there, no matter how much she wished for them to make everything right.

But someone else WAS there.

"Snowy?"

The girl looked up, seeing Adorabeezle stepping through the crowd once more. It was always an amazing sight to see the small, shy racer break through her ice and whenever Snowanna was involved she knew she had to say something.

"I….I think it's okay." The tiny popsicle girl said "Tell Mr. Felix."

Snowanna looked at the other racers, Taffyta still tucked under Calhoun's arm. Even as bewilders as SHE looked, she nodded her head.

She had to say something.

"O-Okay…" Snowanna breathed in, her voice shaking "We….we slept here."

"Who is we?" asked Felix.

"Me, Beezie, an' Nougie." The girl continued "We all slept over here last night an' when we went ta bed, everythin' was normal."

"Wait."

Everyone turned towards Vanellope, her eyes wide.

"Why were THEY here?" the vanilla girl asked, her fingers pointing towards the bomb-pop sisters. Snowanna shrank from the crowd again, her head ducked away.

"W-Would it even matter if I told ya?" Snowanna grumbled "I know you're just gonna laugh at me."

"Wait, no I wouldn't!" protested Vanellope "Snowy, I would NEVER do that!"

"Everyone else would!" the girl growled, turning towards the President "If they heard why I wanted 'em here-! They would-!"

Snowanna stepped back, hands clenched, teeth gnashing. She was HIGHLY upset but lay it on Vanellope? It was just as Ralph had feared; to him, the racers were once again attacking Vanellope for no reason.

"Look kid, Vanellope just wants ta help!" the Wrecker said in a heavy voice, pushing Vanellope back for her safety "We could leave this place as is if ya don't wanna-!"

"Ralph, cool it!" said Calhoun, still forgetting that Taffyta was in her clutches "We're gonna get NO WHERE if ya keep pushin' people like this!"

"THIS comin' from a woman who wouldn't hold back from knockin' someone in tha face!"

"If this is about last night, it was only because that guy was tryin' ta look at my butt!"

"He was pickin' up a quarter, for goodness sake!"

" _ **I WAS SCARED!"**_

Silence fell upon the entire beach as Snowanna's voice echoed across every pixel of the game, the girl looking more upset than ever.

"I-! I was SCARED ta be in tha house by myself!" she sobbed "There! Now ya know!"

"Was that it?" asked Felix, kneeling down to the girl "Honey, why would ya think we'd make fun of ya for that? That's perfectly fine!"

"No! No it's not!" Snowanna continued to cry "I know Vanellope could make it-!"

Once more Vanellope was mentioned but as the girl looked on, she could see that Snowanna was completely HUMILATED by her confession.

"Tha house is so big an' there's no one here with me…." Snowanna continued "I guess it's one thing ta live in a tiny cottage by yourself for years but….but this place sprouts up an' there's no one in it but me? Not even another candy person? I…I got scared, okay?"

"An' so she invited us to stay…" Adorabeezle continued "But when we went to sleep, nothing sounded to wake us up!"

"What do ya mean, kiddo?"

"We all slept in Snowanna's room." The blue popsicle girl went on, pointing towards the house "The doors were shut, the windows were all pulled over. We didn't hear ANYTHING."

Wanting to see things for herself, Calhoun went into the big house only to discover that it was just as trashed as it was on the INSIDE as it was on the OUTSIDE.

" _Oh my land…."_ Felix gulped "Looks like we got a whole LOTTA cleanin' up ta do."

Once at Snowanna's bed room, Calhoun crept in and saw that it indeed the only place not touched.

"Hmmm…."

"Sarge?"

The Marine kept her eyes sharp, looking at each overturned item and marked wall and then-

"Oh?"

Something caught her eye.

A patch of fur; pink, purple, and out of place in the mansion.

"Kid?"

"Ah-huh?"

"Your mom has a costume like THIS on her?" the Marine said as she showed Snowanna the patch of fur.

"N-No…" the girl said "This looks so….GUNKY."

"They were good." The woman said "Making sure they stayed quiet enough as ta NOT disturb tha kids, I'll give 'em that."

Calhoun's frown grew deeper, the woman feeling herself going into guard mode.

"But they weren't good enough! Once I catch 'em-!"

"Ya WON'T kill 'em…." Felix cut in, pulling his wife back "We need these guys CAUGHT, not DEAD Cally."

"Aw but, Sweetie-Pie." Calhoun said in a whiney tone, Taffyta STILL in her arms "But think of how much, exercise I can get from it?"

" _ **HONEY."**_

"Oh my gobs…" Vanellope said as she looked around the house, so many words and broken items around "Who could do this?!"

One would think that Vanellope was used to seeing her own things smashed and trashed as how the other racers, Snowanna included, had treated her but what she saw around her now struck her in place.

 _ **PLACEHOLDER**_

 _ **WORHTLESS**_

 _ **RAINBONE**_

Wait, RainBONE?

" _You can't do it, Rainbone!"_

Vanellope felt her stomach flip again, remembering ONE person who called the snowcone racer by that term CONSTANTLY.

" _It can't be-!"_

"But that's not tha worst of it!"

Vanellope squeaked and turned around, Lumi now spilling his own story towards the repairman.

"We cleaned up as best we could-!" the boy said, his words going fast "But-! But tha things they did here! What they did ta tha pictures-!"

"Pictures?" Felix asked.

"Go on, Snowy." Lumi said, his brows creased in anger "Show 'em what those jerks did, whoever they are."

Once more Snowanna's looks faded, the color leeching from her. She went over to the table and picked up a large stack of what appeared to be photos.

"Tha house being trashed is one thing…." The girl whimpered, her voice sounding as if she were going to cry again "B-But then they did THIS!"

At first Felix was unaware of what to be prepared for but then he saw it.

" _ **OH MY-!"**_

The photos that were in Snowanna's possession were that of her family…but on each and every one that the man laid his eyes upon someone ELSE'S eyes were missing.

Sundae's

Each photo of the family had been marked, Sundae's eyes either cut out or MARKED OUT with black marker on each one.

"Wait, why would they do that?" Ralph asked, confused.

"Because Mrs. Sundae-Sonata Rainbau was blind…." Said Candlehead, her voice filled with gloom.

"Holy cy-bugs, an' they did THAT?!" gasped Calhoun.

" _ **I**_ know who did it."

"Whoops." The woman said, looking down and seeing Taffyta STILL in her arms "Forgot ya were there."

Taffyta flipped back onto her feet, brushing her arms off "It's not a mystery, Sargent. I know _**EXACTLY**_ who did this!"

"Then-?"

"Who ELSE but Snake-Oil?" Taffyta spat out, eyes narrowing in anger "If there is ANYONE in this arcade who'd do such a thing I KNOW it's him!"

"Him? Why HIM?" asked Ralph, sounding miffed at the young racer.

"He's been messin' with us since DAY ONE he got here!" Taffyta said, showing no fear towards the massive man as she glared up at him "An' when Snowy got her house back! No, no, NO! Even BEFORE then, he was on her butt 'bout how she was doin' everythin' wrong with tha puzzle an'-!"

"I think Mr. Wreck-it-Ralph gets it, Taffyta." Candlehead said as she pulled her friend back "But….but I do smell a snake…I mean, do snakes smell? Well, if they DID I would smell a snake an' snakes would smell like-!"

The suspension grew thick, Candlehead getting into her DRAMATIC mode.

" _Like somethin'! Really, really, really, really, really,_ _ **REEEEEEEEEALLY**_ _….._ _ **MEAN!**_ _"_

"Candlehead…."

"Hold on a second, before ANYONE goes around pointin' fingers…." Ralph said "Snake couldn't have been tha one ta pull this off!"

"What?! But Mr. Wreck-It-!"

"Look, all I know is kid, he was with US all night at Tapper's." Ralph said, making sure that he was heard this time "We can even ask Taps himself. An' when tha place closed, he left with us."

"Yeah, Taffyta." Vanellope followed, feeling irritated herself "There was no way that-!"

"Then what about AFTER Tap's closed?!" the strawberry girl said "Can ya account for that?!"

The Wrecker and racer had to admit that Taffyta now had them in a bind; even if Snake could show his alibi for the time he was at the bar the same could not be said for his activities AFTER HOURS. Ralph didn't want to put the blame on a fellow bad-guy but the clues were starting to close in.

"I-!"

He had to think and not let the blame fall on another bad guy, even if the clues were stacking up.

"Why would ya think Snake did it anyway, kid?"

"He _**KNEW**_ everythin'!" Lumi said, just as angry as Taffyta "He was here when Snowy's house showed up an' more than that, he KNEW 'bout Mrs. Rainbau since he was HERE when Snowy said it! An' so were ya, Vanellope!"

All eyes went on Vanellope again, the girl glitching.

"Is this true, kid?" asked Felix.

"Y-Yeah, maybe." The girl gulped "But-! But he couldn't have done it! Snake wouldn't waste his time on this!"

"Like he wouldn't waste his time bashin' Candlehead's basket on her head, HUH Nelly?"

"I know ya hate him, Taffyta! But he didn't do this! I swear!"

" _ **I KNOW HE DID IT!**_ " Taffyta screamed "Either him or-! Or one of his jerk-butt buddies! They've been after ALL'A us an' every time we try ta tell ya, _**YOU DON'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT!**_ "

Vanellope was glitching wildly in anger, feeling as if all the blame now lay squarely on her.

"That's not true, Muttonfudge!" the vanilla racer snapped back "That's not true an-!"

"Girls, ENOUGH!" Calhoun shouted as she picked both children up and away from each other "We're not gonna get ANYWHERE if ya keep actin' like this so right now-?"

The woman looked down at her husband, sighing heavily.

"I think ya should handle this, honey."

The repairman nodded, getting his hammer ready "Will do."

Felix looked around, the mess looking even larger than it had only moments before. There was so much to do and as he looked down at the photos….

Who would even have the darkest of hearts to do such a thing?

"I think I'm gonna be here for a while…." Felix groaned "Ya three can go on if ya want."

"An' leave ya here?" said Calhoun, arching a brow "I don't think so!"

"Cally, not now." The Repairman grumbled "Besides, I don't wanna put any extra work on YOU."

Even though she knew better, Calhoun knew it best to leave her husband be. Besides, she had other things she wanted to take care of.

"C'mon." she growled, taking both Ralph and Vanellope by their hands "We're goin'."

"Where?" asked the stunned Wrecker, his mind only dreading what the Marine had in store for him.

It didn't take that long for the trio of heroes to make their way towards Snake's game, Killer Swamps Three Deluxe, Calhoun not caring the slightest if she pushed away one of the characters and made her way towards Snake's abode.

" _ **WHERE IS HE?!"**_

"Gah, WHO?!" shouted one of the game's playable characters, a woman dressed in a safari outfit. Calhoun eyed her suspiciously.

"Oh, I think we know who. Covered in scales, beady eyes!"

"Ma'am, there are MANY characters who fit that description here. Please be more specific."

"SNAKE-OIL!" the woman roared "Where is SNAKE-OIL?!"

"You called?"

It must have been luck that the creature appeared before the three, Calhoun dropping Ralph and Vanellope like BRICKS on the ground.

"YOU." the woman hissed, pointing an accusing finger at the creature "I thought things couldn't get any lower with ya an' tha whole DEAF-HEAD thing but ya got a LOTTA NERVE, buster!"

Snake held his ground, fingers pressed together in an arrogant manner "Dear Ssssargent, whatever are you going on about?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Scale-Bait! You an' your pals may have been able ta bust into Sugar Rush last night but don't think you're gonna get away with it!"

"CALHOOOOOUN!" Ralph yowled in embarrassment, taking the woman back "What are ya DOIN'?!"

"Yesssss, what ARE you doing?" Snake hissed, his sneer making Calhoun's blood boil "I'm ssssurprissssed that you've come all thissss way to accusssse me of ssssuch thingssss!"

"Stop playin' cute!" the woman shouted again "I know ya attacked that kid's home an' messin' with her parents' photos?! Ya won't be doin' anythin' like that once I turn ya into a pur-!"

"Sargent, PLEASE!" cried the female hero, nervously coming between the two "I don't know what tha HECK is goin' on but-!"

"BUT WHAT?!"

"AURGH! SNAKE WAS HERE, SNAKE WAS HERE!" the woman shouted, ducking away.

Calhoun stoped, eyes widening as she looked at the character "Scuse me, WHAT?"

"When Tapper's closed, he came right home." The little woman continued "I swear. We can all account for this."

"But-! The clues! All tha signs point to-!"

"Me not being there….." the snake hissed, his clawed hands strumming impatiently against his arms "Ssssarge, you can not tell me that you've come all thissss way to throw ssssuch accusssatons around. It'sssss mosssst unbecoming of you."

"Don't try ta ham this up, SNAKE." The woman growled, moving closer towards the creature "No matter how hard ya try, ya can't remove your grubby snake trail off of this one!"

"SARGENT!"

The woman turned, Ralph giving her a frantic look "Calhoun, maybe we should go-!"

"I'm not done here yet, Wreck-It!" the woman growled "Not until I know what REALLY-!"

"Snake didn't do it! I know he didn't!"

"Ralph, stop!" Calhoun ordered, latching onto a beam as Ralph tried to pull her away "We need to-!"

" _ **LEAVE!**_ " The man said, pulling the woman's hands off the structure and throwing her on his shoulder "That's what we need to do, NOW!"

"Ralph! RAAAAALPH! STOP! STOP IT RIGHT NOW AND PUT ME DOWN!"

As if that could not be any more embarrassing.

Despite Calhoun's attempts to fight off the Wrecker he had the advantage this time, carrying the screeching woman down the halls of the arcade the spectacle of the evening.

"Sarge-!"

"Look, if ya put me down! I PROMISE ya I WON'T rush back there an' kick his butt!"

"Sarge, STOP!" Ralph said, dropping the woman on a bench "What in tha world POSSESED ya ta even do that!"

"Look, I know what's goin' on here, Ralphie-Boo! That creep can play innocent all he wants but he did it! I know he came inta tha game an-!"

"Are ya sayin' that all based on what ya THOUGHT he did to those kids?!" Ralph growled.

"It isn't a matter of THOUGHT in this case, Wreck-It! I've seen what this guy is capable an' he's not gonna stop until WE do somethin'!"

"Look, I know tha guy can be-! Well, can be a bit weird but-!"

"What is it THIS time, Ralph?! What's tha excuse this time?!"

"How do ya know ANYONE came inta tha game last night?!" the Wrecker blasted "You're tellin' me THREE KIDS selpt that hard that NO ONE heard anyone come in?! What's ta say THEY didn't do it themselves an' wanted ta put tha blame on Snake?!"

Calhoun could not BELIEVE what she had just heard from Ralph, her feet nearly leaving the ground.

"How long are ya gonna avoid it?! How long?!"

"He didn't do it, Calhoun!"

"Ya can't ignore tha clues, Ralph! Ya just can't!"

"Funny ya say all this when ya didn't have a problem with 'im BEFORE?" the big man shouted, unaware that there was now a crowd gathering around the trio.

Vanellope had never felt so embarrassed, her face once again going red as the two adults went on with their arguing.

"What happened ta that, huh?" Ralph continued, pointing an accusing finger at the Marine "I never heard ya speak up before all'a this but NOW ya turn face? Somethin' you're not tellin' me, SARGE?"

The glint the woman gave was enough to bend STEEL, her grip on the man's finger BONE-CRUSHING as she shoved his hand away.

"One can lose trust in another, I think YOU know that well…." The woman said "An' right now, SNAKEY is doin' a good job of buryin' himself, 'less I do it first!"

"SARGE!"

The woman looked down, Vanellope waving her arms about with a frantic look on her face.

"L-Look, um-! M-Maybe we should get back!"

"But Vanellope-!"

"I think everyone is mad enough as it is. Maybe we just all need ta rest."

Coming down off her anger, Calhoun realized just how far she had taken things. She knew better than this, she knew better than to just throw herself into a battle unprepared but what she had seen from the rainbow racer's home did nothing but fuel her anger.

She KNEW Snake was the culprit in all of this SOMEHOW but she could not put her finger on exactly HOW. Who else but the snake-man who she had clearly seen pestering and igniting chaos in Sugar Rush would have done such a thing? He did not hold back when he called Sticky a deaf-head and when he attacked Lumi it was more proof that he saw the other racers as easy targets, no amount of decency held back in what he did to him and maybe that was just it.

He knew if he played his cards right, struck at the right time and hung around the right people he could get away with anything and he was succeeding at that. Even when SHE was around, Snake could still manage to act out without repercussions and unless she had solid evidence-

" _Damn it."_

She could do nothing. If she were to act out, all blame would fall on her and if there was one thing that Calhoun did not want to do it was sully her heroic reputation to protect the arcade.

Programmers knew she had already blew that with the Zaki triplets.

With nothing else to do, the woman growled; she may have been beaten in this case but she refused to let herself be tricked again, not by Snake nor by her own anger.

It still hurt her though. It hurt because she knew as long as this was going to go on than EVERYONE in Sugar Rush was going to be at odds with each other, Vanellope included.

She wanted to make sure that Vanellope was safe but whoever was doing this was only making things worse for her as well.

"Let's just get outta here…." The Marine growled, waving a hand in disgust "I can already tell we're gonna be left in dust with this."

* * *

"Are they fixed?"

"Yeah, they are Beezie." Snowanna sighed as she placed the photos back in their correct place, her mother's eyes returned to them.

"URGH! I can't believe it. Snake-Head once again messes with us but does tha PRINCESS do anythin'?!"

Taffyta felt like breaking the broom handle against her knee, counting her lucky pixels that Felix had left long ago and could not hear her rantings.

"NO! Not a single BLIP is given when someone comes after US but WE'RE supposed ta be worried whenever someone looks at her funny? _**FUDGE-BARS!**_ "

" _ **TAFFYTA!**_ " Candlehead gasped "Ya-! Ya know ya can't say bad words like that?!"

"Oh, an' why not?! Is that PRINCESS gonna be upset?!"

"Taffyta, maybe ya should chill." Said Snowanna, looking rather perturbed by the girl's actions "I….I don't really blame Vanellope for any of this so-!"

"Why not?! Snake is part of her crew!"

"I-I know…" Snowanna said meekly, a stark change to her usual behavior "I just don't think she ORDED him ta do this ta us."

"An' because of that, youre gonna take it?"

"W-Well…."

Snowanna rubbed her arm nervously, eyes darting behind the rainbow lenses of her glasses. The others could tell she was holding back something big, having little courage to say what she wanted, especially in the face of the angry Taffyta.

"I-I'm gonna stop!"

"Stop what?"

"Holdin' my concerts!" the girl cried out, reaching for her guitar and running off down the hall.

"Snowy, NO!" shouted Adorabeezle, giving chase after her friend "You can't! You shouldn't!"

"If I don't, it'll only get worse!" sniffled the snowcone girl, her hand going for the knob of her door "I know it will!"

The trio of candy explores could only look in shock as Snowanna had gone from confident to fearful in such a short time, a deadly reminder to the children that they were still outnumbered in the great arcade. Candlehead could feel her little heart beating furiously in worry, Lumi standing close by with similar feelings but Taffyta?

Seeing Snowanna cry, and knowing the cause of it, made her ANGRIER.

There was no way to escape it, there was no way for the racers to have ANY enjoyment at this point. Even when evidence of their lives in the game were found, there were plenty of others who were just hungry enough to rip it from them.

And the strawberry girl knew exactly who these pixels were doing it for.

Snowanna wiped the tears from her eyes, still standing firm on her choice "It was a bad idea ta say yes anyway. I shudda known what would happen if I held concerts here."

"But we all love 'em!" said Candlehead "All those songs, all that music! I loved it!"

"Yeah, it was like the ol' days!" smiled Lumi "Your folks used ta-!"

" _ **STOP IT!"**_

Lumi jumped back, Snowanna's shout echoing through the halls as she shook in anger and sadness.

"Stop, stop, stop! Stop talkin' 'bout my folks like ya knew 'em!"

"But…but I did." The gummie boy gulped, realizing that in his attempts to cheer the girl up he may have struck a nerve with her "I-! I remember! They-!"

" _ **YOU**_ remember!" Snowanna growled, the boy still seeing tears coming from her " _ **YOU**_ remember but no one else does! Why does it matter if they can't?!"

"Sn-Snowanna!"

"This isn't fun anymore…." The girl meeped, putting her guitar away "This isn't fun anymore. I've got this house but there's no one else in it with me, I've got all this stuff but people are gonna come just ta wreck it an' my songs are bad-!"

Adorabeezle shook her head again "No, no, no! They're not! They're not!"

"'Sides…."

The group turned, Taffyta leaning against the wall with her arms crossed.

"Ya shouldn't stop doin' what ya love cause of some jealous GLITCH." The strawberry girl spat out "Ya saw tha way she left. Ya all know what she was thinking."

Everyone turned towards Lumi, the boy looking at the massive wall of guitars, the lot of them returned to their former glory from the vandalism.

"When this place went up. When ya made that comment about her singing. Ya saw her, Snowy. Tha way she reacted ta ya."

The girl in pink turned her gaze upon the others, a steely glint seen.

" _She hates it."_

"Hates what?"

"She hates not bein' tha center of attention anymore. I know she does." the strawberry racer continued, marching down the middle of the halls as the others watched on "How fudged off was she when people started comin' here ta see your home an' hear ya play? Ya saw it, don't pretend that ya didn.t"

Snowanna lowered her head, knowing that Taffyta was correct in her words "Maybe she was but-? But would she really go THIS FAR with tryin' ta get people ta pay attention ta her again? I mean, look at all'a this Taffyta!"

"I do see it." The girl said, looking at a picture of the absent parents "It was a lot worse before Mr. Fix-It cleaned it up."

"But I don't think Vanellope did it!"

"Don't tell me you're sayin' that because you're SCARED of her, Snowy!" Taffyta belted out, rushing up to the taller girl "Is that tha only reason you're sayin' that?!"

"NO!"

"Taffyta, please leave her alone!" Adorabeezle cried out, wrapping her arms around Taffyta's middle and pulling her back "We don't-! It's not like that!"

"Would it make ya feel better that I do believe ya with Snake?!"

Taffyta looked at Snowanna, the girl crying softly. Realizing what she had done and said, the smaller girl crept back; great, this wasn't want she wanted.

"I know Snake did it. I believe ya on that."

"R-Really?" Taffyta meeped, her voice shrill and her cheeks blushing "W-Well, I guess I feel better knowin' that…."

"But no matter what we say, no one is gonna believe us." Snowanna said, her voice low ins sadness "When ya tried ta tell Vanellope an' Mr. Ralph….it almost felt like they didn't WANNA believe us. An' maybe they're right for doin' so?"

"NO."

The group of girls turned, the lone boy standing among them with his arms crossed against his chest. In his mind he had heard enough from the lot and to see Snowanna acting so meek, so powerless in the face of such an event?

This couldn't be right! There was no way this was the Snowanna he knew!

"I know I'm kinda a new-comer ta all'a this…" the boy began, putting a hand behind his head bashfully "An' I'm still tryin' ta wrap my brain on what ya guys did ta Vanellope while I was in that box."

The girls, even Taffyta, remained silent as their past bullying was dragged up from the depths of their guilty sea. Taffyta possibility felt the worst of the bunch, knowing that she had still withheld plenty from the boy in green.

"But my pop had a sayin'."

"What kinda sayin' Lumi?" the mint-chip racer asked, eyes curious "A sayin' like 'Gimmie a piece of that Kit Kat bar' or 'Tha Fresh-maker' or-?"

"Nah, nah. Nothin' like that." The boy laughed to himself, always feeling better with Candlehead's quips "What I mean is, ya can have tha prettiest scales in tha ocean but ya can still wind up caught in a net."

"I don't get it." Taffyta grumbled, tapping her fingers against her folded arms.

"What I think pop meant was…." Lumi continued "Vanellope's flashy an' all, but that doesn't mean she can get away with anythin'."

"So? Hasn't stopped her before." Taffyta mumbled again.

"Which is why we can't let her get to us like this, guys." The boy said "Maybe she didn't do this herself or even tell Snake an' his cohorts about it but she can't IGNORE every problem that happens ta us, especially if she's this grand holy PRESIDENT she keeps goin' on about!"

"Then what do you think we should do?" asked Nougetsia, putting her hands on her younger sister's shoulder. Just by her actions alone, the trio with the plan could FEEL the nervousness coming from her, the nervousness in knowing that if Snake could come after Snowanna so easily in the night, what was to stop him from doing the same to THEM?

"What CAN we do?"

The trio looked at each other again, one feeling worry, one feeling anger and the last one?

Well, he still felt LOST.

In the back of his mind, these were his friends but as circumstances were happening around him none of them knew who he was or their own stories about themselves. From his own memories he KNEW they wouldn't stand for this, he knew they wouldn't back down to bullies in such a manner nor would they allow themselves to be called bullies.

And more than that, they would have people to back them up, to support them.

But as the reveal of Snowanna's house had shown the boy while the LANDSCAPE of Sugar Rush was easily restored that didn't mean that the missing people would come along with them.

He had felt so confident in his words before but now he was unsure what to do, Taffyta catching the fault in his stance.

"I just remember what I remember." The boy said "An' everythin' everyone is sayin' 'bout ya. It didn't happen like that."

"Then what DID happen?" asked Nougetsia, the girl finally breaking through and moving closer to Lumi "If you know so much, why won't you tell us."

"I have my reasons!" the boy sputtered out, pushing back "I-! I have things but-!"

"Yeah, but?" asked the second of the popsicle sisters, getting even closer than Nougetsia "But what?"

"It's all from MY point'a view!" the boy said, trying to catch his breath "I know your stories-! But not as well as YOU should!"

"Wait, I don't get it." Said Nougetsia "You know our stories but-?"

"What Lumz here means…." Taffyta said, pulling the boy back "His family comes first an' foremost in that brain of his, as should ours. But they're not there. They're not there because Turbo took 'em from us!"

"If that's tha case then…." Said Snowanna "Vanellope outta be in tha same boat as we are."

"Yeah!" said Adorabeezle "When Turbo took control over everything, she didn't have her memories either! Otherwise she would have been able to tell us she was a Princess to remind us!"

"Then why has she acting so weird?" asked Nougetsia.

"Weird? How?"

"You've had to see it, right?" the older popsicle girl went on "The way she's been acting when Snowy had a crowd here. She was always in the back and-!"

"Like I said, she's JEALOUS." Taffyta sniffed tartly "She just can't stand it when tha arcade isn't singin' her name in praise!"

"No, it's not that." Nougetsia said "There's….there's something else I've noticed."

Taffyta moved closer, wanting all the info she could get her hands on "Then tell us."

The girl suddenly felt regret for even saying something, her hands going to her chest as her eyes darted about.

"Maybe it's just me, okay?" she began "But whenever we talk about Snowy's mom and dad, or music, or whatever, she always left."

"She did?" blinked Candlehead "But why?"

"I dunno." Nougetsia shook "She'd always get this upset look on her face an' leave but it wasn't just the music. When we'd mention a certain song or Snowy would tell us about something she remembered. Vanellope just looked upset about it."

Now this was something and perhaps jealousy wasn't the culprit.

"That…that is kinda weird." Nodded Candlehead "Maybe she just misses her parents too an' wants ta know where they are? I mean, if she just told us tha truth, I wuldn't mind lettin' her go with us ta-!"

"Guys."

All turned their heads towards the girl in pink, her stance showing them all she wanted to be seen and heard.

"We're not gonna let Vanellope beat us like this."

"But Taffyta-!"

"We already let her make jelly-brains outta us with tha races, so much so that she's got people convinced that we CHEAT if we beat her. We're stoppin' this now. RIGHT NOW."

The girl looked at the house, her head starting to heat up as she tried to recall moments of the place but once more something was blocked. Memories were clashing with each other but as Snowanna's house was proving they were all fake, all created by Turbo in order to continue his reign upon the land.

Taffyta wanted that feeling, the feeling of release and FREEEDOM Snowanna had gotten when her home had been restored and she knew she would only get that if she and the others continued, if they continued on their plan to prove to everyone in the arcade that Sugar Rush was not just Vanellope's kingdom.

It was THEIR Kingdom.

 _ **THEIR**_ home.

"We can't let our guards down." Taffyta said, flipping her bangs out of her eyes "We can't let our guard down but we're not gonna let those guys know we're scared of 'em either."

"That's easy for YOU ta say!" said Nougetsia "You do remember who we're up against right?"

"If ya mean Snake?" the girl smirked, something sinister seen in her smile and heard in the purr of her voice "Hehe, don't worry about him."

Taffyta rubbed her fingers together, the fabric of her gloves squeaking together.

"If he gets his scales too close, we all know what's gonna happen. But on tha plus side, I heard SNAKE SKIN makes GREAT gloves."


	14. Chapter Thirteen- Sweet Fish

Chapter Thirteen: Sweet Fish

After the invasion on Snowanna's home, everyone who had been there felt a little glum. The effect it had on the snowcone racer was there for everyone to see, no matter how hard she tried to hide it. She was glum, she was low and the brightness of her colors that had returned upon seeing her home had faded, going back to the muddled colors that had covered her since Vanellope had come back.

Or since Snake had made himself a massive presence in the game.

Little Adorabeezle Winterpop felt the change the most, the popsicle poppet wanting nothing more than to cheer up her friend but she didn't know HOW. All she could do was watch Snowanna melt, head hung low, eyes filled with despair.

And Snake of course was lapping up every moment of it.

"Heheh, sssso ssssorry to hear what happened to your home, Rainbau…." The larger character slithered towards the girl, making her curl up in defense in her kart.

He was enjoying this far too much, feeling a sickening satisfaction of watching the tiny racer fear his form and knowing plenty well that he could get away with his torturous acts. He slid his claws against the surface of the girl's kart, digging through the material to ruin it even further.

"Perhapssss it would be besssst if you don't sssshow off." He snickered "Wouldn't want anything elsssse bad to happen to you, WOULD you?"

The threat was received, Snowanna knowing better than to let the creature treat her in such a way but after what had happened to her home the last thing she wanted was another invasion by the reptilian rough-houser.

Especially when she knew she had no one else to back her up should he return.

Seeing that he had broken her, Snake slithered off away from the track, head held up high and a deep chuckle in his throat. He was however unaware that a familiar figure in pink had witnessed the exchange, the taffy girl gripping her gloves tight as she rushed over to her fellow racer.

"Snowy?"

Snowanna said nothing, looking at Taffyta for but just a moment with teary eyes before situating herself correctly in her seat, turning on the engine of her kart.

"Hey everyone!"

The girls turned, seeing Vanellope glitch her way towards them with a smile, completely unaware of what her newest 'comrade' had just done.

"Ya guys up for tha roster race?" the vanilla racer smirked her usually smile "Gonna warn ya. I won't go easy on ya like I did with-!"

"Save it, Von Schweetz." Taffyta growled, pushing the girl out of the way as she made her way towards her own kart "We already gotta taste of your HUMOR."

"Hold on, what?" the girl asked, rightfully confused "Snowy, what's-?"

Before an answer could be given Snowanna slowly rode her kart into its place at the starting line, leaving Vanellope alone.

This was just great; it was bad enough that Vanellope felt PULLED between her new friends and her 'old' ones in the game but it felt like her suspicions of the candy racers turning on her once against were proving to be bitterly valid. The girl scowled, glitching to her own kart as she got ready with the others.

" _Well, if you're gonna be like THAT-!"_

And so the racers went off on the random roster races, the crowds cheering loudly as they watched the colorful karts take off.

All except for one pair of eyes.

While the hype was set upon the middle of the game one racer in particular had set his sights for calmer waters, the one named Lumi making himself comfortable at one of the soda lakes dotted amongst the game.

He knew he wasn't welcomed at the track and with Ralph coming along every evening to watch Vanellope, the track was the last place he wanted to be near. Even with the thing he had heard about Ralph, the mantra of bad guys not being bad, after the way that the Wrecker had treated and suspected HIM and the other racers, the boy was sourer than ever towards the idea of the big man even being around.

Even if the racers had done things to Vanellope in the past, Lumi just could not wrap his head around anyone being so blatant in his ignorance to what was going on. With massive piles of evidence that the racers were being bullied, being BULLIED by people Vanellope seemed to invite to the game with glee, Lumi still felt that Ralph was brushing it off simply because he did not like the racers.

If this were the case then what kind of hero was Ralph?

"He smells worse than bilge water…." Lumi growled to himself, taking his homemade rod as he prepared to take a little side-trip to fish "Has a head filled with peanut-butter n' jellyfish! All he can think about is pleasin' that brat of a Princess-!"

The boy's stomach was in knots at the very thought of Vanellope. He may not have spilt the jellybeans enough on what his little head was holding but he knew that none of it was right. It was bad enough that the game was still a jumbled mess from what he could recall but Vanellope? Even HER?

He had to take his mind off of it, off of everything and even her.

He had to fish.

Perhaps it was a little disappointing not to have his gear or home set up in the game but the boy was resourceful enough to create his own fishing gear, already aiming his road for the sparkling waters.

"An-! NOW!"

The boy cast off, the bobber sailing through the air before landing with a graceful splash in the water. He could hear the bubbles fizz around the round bobber, making it dance upon the surface of the effervescent water. It was relaxing to him, it was peaceful and calm.

It was just what he needed.

"H-Hello?"

The boy let out a squeak, turning around to see a familiar cupcake-themed racer making her way down the trail.

"Candlehead?!" the boy gasped, nearly dropping the fishing rod into the water "How-? How did ya find me? An'-! An' more than that, why aren't ya at tha roster race? You'll miss out a chance ta ride tomorrow!"

The girl dug her foot into the sandy path, head lowered "I really didn't feel like racin' today."

Candlehead? Not wanting to race? She might as well have lost her APPETITE if that were the case!

"But-! But C-Butt-!" the boy sputtered, still in shock at the confession "Why-?!"

"I didn't see ya in tha crowds…" the girl continued as she approached the boy "I got worried an' when I saw ya weren't at Taffy's place either…."

As if Lumi didn't have ENOUGH to feel bad about; Candlehead had skipped her chance to get into the roster list ALL FOR HIM and what was he doing at the moment?

Fishing.

Just FISHING.

He blushed, cheeks burning in embarrassment as he looked at the girl.

"Thanks for all'a that…." He mumbled, turning away. Candlehead smiled, pulling a basket from her behind her back.

"An' since I was worried, I brought ya this as well!"

"Candlehead! AUGRH!"

She had missed her spot AND brought him snacks?

And people around the arcade said the racers were INCAPABLE of any kindness.

Lumi plopped down on his seat, shaking his head "You're just too much, C-Butt. Just too much."

The girl giggled, taking up a spot next to the gummie guy "Well, what can I say? I love racin' but I love makin' goodies for everyone even more! It's just me!"

The boy smiled, the cheeriness of the girl's voice reminding him that there were still somethings that had apparently not changed.

"An'….an' don't let anyone tell ya ta change that."

There was an awkward air between the two as the words were spoken, Lumi cursing to himself that he had spoken out of term. He knew that there were still a lot of tender things happening with the kids so maybe telling Candlehead that-?

He had to clear the air, SOMEHOW!

"Um….have ya ever been fishin'?"

Candlehead blinked "Fishin'? Like, gummie worm on hook fishin'?"

"Well, yeah. A'course!"

"Hmmmmmmm, kinda? I guess?" the girl shrugged "I mean, I'm more inta bakin' fish than catchin' 'em an' any chance I got ta try it, I-!"

"Here, then lemme show ya!" Lumi said, excitement coming back to him as he took the girl by her hand and stood her up, handing her the handmade fishing rod "It's lotsa fun."

"I'm not sure." The girl said nervously "I'm bad at drivin'. What makes ya think I'll be any good at FISHIN'?"

"First off, your drivin' is excellent."

The girl looked down, eyes becoming crestfallen " _I'll never be good as Vanellope…."_

"An' second, you're gonna LOVE this!" the boy said, going on without thinking "We used ta do this all tha time back before tha racers were officially set up an'-!"

Lumi stopped, realizing that once more he was going off beat with the other candy racers. After the incident with Snowanna the boy had to remind himself that while he could recall many things from his point of view, the others could recall NONE OF IT, and every mention he made would either resurrect no memories or, at the worst, sound like a lie.

And the last thing Lumi wanted to do was LIE to an already upset Candlehead.

He lowered the rod, looking at her with worried eyes.

"Um…."

Best to get on with the lesson. Lumi didn't want to spoil anything else.

It took a few tries but before the two knew it Candlehead was already set to throw her first line, the girl excited to see what sorts of candy fish she could reel in.

"... An' then ya CAST OFF!" The boy signaled, Candlehead giving a quick, and laughable, battle cry as she flicking the body of the fishing rod sharply towards the water. The bobber and line flew off through the air like a comet in the sky, splashing down in the heart of the lake.

The girl's eyes grew wide, the simple act of landing the bobber in the water an amazing feat for her.

"WOW!" she gasped "I-! I did it!"

"Wait, don't let go of tha line!" Lumi laughed, watching as the girl hopped up and down "Ya wanna catch some fish? Well, ya gotta keep'a hold of tha rod! Ya don't want 'em ta get away?"

"Nope, nope, nope!" Candlehead sang, sitting down as she held tight onto the rod "An' when we get our fish, I'm gonna make ya tha best gummie gumbo ya can-!"

"Um, ya don't hafta do so much…." Lumi said "But thanks, Candles. Thanks…."

The girl smiled, a welcomed calm coming over the two as they sat at the lake, the only sound hear being that of the gentle rolls of the water surface and the faint sounds of engines at the track.

Maybe missing one race wasn't so bad.

"Ya used ta do this for fun all tha time?" Candlehead asked. Lumi nodded his head proudly.

"Yup! I think I learned how ta fish before I learned how ta walk!"

"That…that sounds neat." The girl responded, sounding a little low. So low in fact that Lumi had missed it, his mind once again starting to wander.

"Ah, man. Tha docks!" the boy began "It was-! It was so-! I can't think of anythin' else ta say but it was just so COOL, Candlehead!"

"A-ah-huh?"

Memories and stories began to flood the boy's brain, his smile uncontainable.

"One time-! I 'member-!" he went on "Your folks! They needed an order for a really special fish!"

Candlehead shivered, her skin going over with goosebumps; her parents?

Lumi could remember HER parents?

"It was a special candy fish, somethin' that was RARE n' SUPER SWEET but tha royals-! Huh, they ALWAYS caused trouble for us! They wanted your folks ta make them this special dish with tha fish but Queen MILKA didn't know how hard the fish was yet she STILL insisted she have it for this fancy-SHAMNCY dinner! One she didn't invite US to by the way!"

"R-Really?"

"An' then-!" the boy continued, getting on his feet as he began to act the memory out "We all went on tha treck! My folks, your follks! Ya, me an' Roly!"

"Roly?"

"We were all on tha boat! An' then tha waters got rough an' choppy! We thought we were gonna be tossed inta tha sea! All'a us goners by tha gullies an' then-!"

By this time, Lumi felt as if he were standing atop the world, arms out and head up.

"KA- _ **BLOOOOOSH!**_ A massive wave catches our boat but my pop n' your pop HOLD tha boat steady! Then WAVES n' WAVES of tha fish we were lookin' for comes in! We got our catch!"

"WHOA!" said Candlehead, looking up in awe "All tha fish?!"

"All that fish!" nodded the boy, sitting back down "We were able ta give some ta tha Von Schweetz but we had so much that we sold 'em ta EVERYONE! It was tha best-!"

"Lumi?"

The boy stopped, looking down to see just how upset Candlehead looked. Again he had gone too far, quickly scrambling to help.

"Aurgh, Candlehead-!"

"That…that sounds so cool…." The girl said, sadly "That sounds so nice."

"Y-yeah…"

"But….but I don't remember it." The girl sniffled "I don't remember havin' a mom, havin' a dad….I don't remember any of it."

"But it's real, Candlehead!" the boy reassured, wanting nothing more than to prove his stories and memories true "It-! It happened! I-I mean in our backstories it did but-!"

"M-Maybe there's a reason why we can't remember all'a that…" the girl continued, the flicker of her candle dying down "M-Maybe Turbo didn't steal our things…"

"But Snowanna's house-!"

"If…if she still can't 'member that much an' we can't…" the girl continued "Maybe…maybe those stories were taken out. Maybe they were taken out so Vanellope could have more."

"No!" Lumi shouted "No, that's not-!"

He stopped; at this point, he just didn't know. Perhaps, scarily so, Candlehead could have been right on this. Maybe the unknown programmers had removed some bits of the story to make room for more details on Vanellope but-!

No, no that couldn't have been it! Snowanna's house and memories were proof enough that the stories of the racers still remained buried, hidden beneath the candy coating of the game.

But no one from OUTSIDE the game seemed to believe. Even some of the racers didn't know who to believe.

"Lumi… D'ya, feel like we're all just placeholders?"

The boy could have sworn he felt the sea freeze over as he heard that word uttered towards him; **PLACEHOLDER.**

"Maybe….maybe I'm just a placeholder." The girl said "Maybe some of us have stories an' tha rest of us-?"

"How can ya be a placeholder when I remember doin' so much stuff with ya?" the boy said, looking the girl in the eye "I mean-! I-! I remember bits an' pieces from all over Sugar Rush but you an' Taffyta?"

The girl looked up at the boy, surprised that Taffyta was mentioned.

"With ya two, my memories are tha STRONGEST!" Lumi smiled, hoping to cheer the girl up.

"Y-Yeah?"

"Yup! I told ya 'bout tha trip? But we used ta do so much more together! So much more fun than hangin' out with Princess Whatsherface."

"But why can't I remember?" Candlehead sniffled again "Why can't Taff remember?"

Lumi looked down at his feet. He may have had SOME of the answers but not all of them.

"I…."

What could he say to the girl to make her feel any better? It was one thing to be so certain on what HE had experienced but whatever he told her, it would all seem like a dream, no connection to ANYTHING.

It hurt him knowing that things that the girl used to experience, things that were written just for her were no longer apart of her. They had been ripped away from her, as they had been down with ALL of the racers, and there he was in an arcade surrounded by people who REFUSED to help.

At this point, Lumi was counting himself lucky that Turbo hadn't missed him as his stories were intact but in keeping his own role to him it had come with a cost, that being he sounded like a madman every time he went off on a tale that no one could or even wanted to believe.

He just wanted things to return to the way he RECALLED in his head but at this point he knew there were far too many people around him who didn't want Sugar Rush to resemble what HE wanted. They didn't even want Sugar Rush to resemble what the other RACERS wanted.

They wanted things to resemble what VANELLOPE wanted, even if it came at the cost of the other racers. They outnumbered her greatly but they didn't matter, only the pleasure and happiness of the candy President.

"Roly?"

"H-Huh?"

"Who's Roly?" Candlehead asked.

The boy softened, a bashful grin appearing on his face.

"Roly…" he began, a little chuckle escaping his throat "She…she was…."

Candlehead moved closer, her curiosity piqued.

"Heh…she was my baby sister."

The girl's eyes grew wide, the candle atop her hat shooting off sparks.

"B-B-B-B-B-BABY-?!"

Lumi nodded, knowing EXACTLY what was about to come.

"BABY SISTEEEEEEEEEEEEEER?!"

Candlehead nearly shot into the air, turning flips all before returning to her place next to the boy, hopping on her toes giddily.

"Baby sister, baby sister, baby sister, baby sister!" she sang out in excitement, her eyes sparkling "YA HAD A BABY SISTER!?"

"Yup…" the boy nodded "She was a lil wild one but….but I loved her."

"AAAAAAAAAAAAW!" the cupcake themed girl cooed, a pink heart forming in the flames of her candle "That-! That is tha CUTEST thing I heard of!"

"Heh, thanks." The boy laughed again "I didn't think it was fun ta have a baby stinkin' up tha house when she came along but before I knew it…."

Once more the boy paused, the smile on his face fading. While it was nice to be reminded of the unknown sibling all he could think about was….

" _She's not here though…"_

Even Candlehead had to stop, sensing the sadness from the boy.

"I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay." Lumi reassured, the grl looking a tad guilty.

"Dooooh, I messed it up again, didn't I?" she moaned "I'm…they're right."

"Who's right?"

"Snake an' his buddies." The girl said "I'm just a stupid puddin' head…"

"Candles!"

"An' I bet my mama was too, wasn't she?" the girl continued "Stupid is as stupid does an' I bet our parents were nothin' like Van-!"

"AAAAURGH! ENOUGH!"

Lumi's massive roar nearly sent Candlehead spilling into the lake, the boy looking as if HE could easily go alight himself.

"Rrrrgh, I'm sick'a all'a this talk with everyone here comparin' themselves ta Vanellope!"

"But why shouldn't we?" Candlehead meeped "She's tha Princess. We're…we're nothin'."

"But ya ARE somethin', C-Butt!" the boy shouted, taking the girl by her arms "Ya ARE somethin'! You're a racer, you're a cook-!"

He could feel the heat in his chest rising, wanting nothing more than to shout out so loud that the entire ARCADE could hear him.

"YOU'RE CANDLEHEAD HANABI!" he declared "Tha best cookiest cook anywhere! An' your folks-!"

The boy took in a deep breath, once again going into acting mode as the memories flooded back.

"Your mom? Where do ya think ya get it from? She was more hyper than a honeybird filled ta tha brim with tha most potent, heh, HONEY!"

"Sh-she was?"

"An' your pop! BIG POP! He had a glance that could cut through stone an' FIST as well but when it came ta tha kitchen? He was as gentle as a lamb, careful with each an' every creation he made."

Lumi threw his fist in the air, punching as if he were faced with several walls.

"That big guy? Tha Smelly Wrecker?"

"Mr. Ralph?"

"I'd LOVE him ta meet some of our folks. Maybe your pop wasn't as big as him? But he could give him a good wallop!"

"I….Is this true?" the girl asked, shaking a bit.

"Yes! Yes, it is C-Butt! It's all true!"

"But why don't I remember it?" she cried out "I wanna remember it! I wanna remember EVERYTHIN' but-!"

Emotions overtook the girl as she placed her face in her hands, small sobs escaping her.

"Whoa, whoa, C-Butt! Don't-!"

"Tht sounds great. Like…like tha bestest cake I could ever make, Lumi…." She quivered "But…But I don't 'member it! I can't even remember their faces, their voices! I can't remember anythin'!"

Lumi's heart sank as he watched the girl cry before him, his arms wrapping around her in a comforting hug.

"Ya will….an' I'll help ya get there." The boy said, courage growing within him "I dun care if it takes me a bajuillion years! I'm-! I'm gonna get your stories back, Candles! If it's tha last thing I do, I'll get everyone's-!"

Had anyone else been there to witness, they would have sworn that Lumi was another candle racer, the boy just brimming with energy at the thought of showing everyone just how wonderful he remembered the kingdom to be.

"Ah, ya get it…" he said, settling down "Ya get it."

The racers both sighed in exhaustion as the boiling Sugar Rush sun beamed down on them, the two continuing to lagh and muse about the situation.

"I…" Candlehead started again, finding herself now sat at the end of the fishing rod,  
"Thanks Lumi… all'a that was sweet of ya."

"Heh, anythin' ta help my friends." The boy smirked "But speakin' a sweet. Let's dig inta what ya brought in that bask-!"

 _ **TWANG! TWANG!**_

The two looked over, the rod moving violent where Candlehead had dropped it.

"Oh!"

"Ya got one!" Lumi cheered, the two rushing to the rod before it was pulled into the water "Don't let it get away!"

"I-I'm tryin' not to!" the girl cried out, surprised that the fish had so much strength "AUUURGH! It's fightin' back!"

"Wait, lemme help!" the boy cried out as he took ahold of the rod as well, both using their combined strength to fight the fish to land "WOW! This one is a whooper!"

"A burger?"

"NO! I mean-!"

The two cried out as they were nearly dragged into the water, their tiny feet struggling against the sand.

"Don't tell me Vanellope's been dumpin' garbage in here too! It's almost like we got MUTANT Fish in here!"

"I think we got it, I think we got it!" the girl cried out, pulling back.

The two continued their battle with the monstrous fish, both parties unwilling to accept defeat and just when it seemed as if the two racers were going to go sailing into the water, just when it seemed they were in for another beating-!

"Uurgh! _**HANG OOOON!**_ "

They could feel the release of tension from near the water, the sound of crashing waves and fizzy bubbles surrounding them. They both looked up, an enormous shadow covering them.

" _ **OH MY GOBS!"**_

* * *

"Wait…" said Taffyta, looking at the sweet-smelling flesh of the grilling fish atop the glowing embers of a quickly set-up cook out "BOTH of ya got this thing?!"

"Yup!" Nodded Lumi in pride, patting Candlehead on the back "She can race, she can cook, AN' she can fish? Heh, our Candlehead here is a girl of many talents!"

The cupcake racer smiled, the familiar and long missed happy glow of her wick flickering in the night air.

"C'mon Lumi, ya don't hafta say all'a that."

Taffyta peered over to the two; she had to admit, there was something nice about seeing her best friend so happy though it made her wonder just what she had missed when she was out on the track.

"Well, anyway." The strawberry girl said tartly "I think ya two should be glad ta hear I sealed my place for tomorrow's game-play!"

"YEEEES!" Candlehead squealed in delight "Did ya come in first?"

"No, third." Taffyta mumbled, sitting down on a nearby ledge "An' ya can guess who had a field day with it."

The boy in green scowled, no guesses needed in figuring out that Snake had made certain to get his two scales in at the end of the race.

"Don't worry Taff." Lumi nodded, giving the girl a confident look "He'll be singing' a different tune soon enough."

Even if her third place was a little low on the roster, the girl started to perk up at Lumi's smile. She was still in the race and she knew that whoever picked her would show the rest of the players just what kind of talent Taffyta Muttonfudge had. She smiled snootily, flipping her bangs out of her hair.

"Heh, it'll be a song like no other."

"Oh, oh! Taffyta!" Candlehead beamed "You'll never believe what Lumi told me!"

"What was it this time?"

"He has a-! Get ready for this-!" the girl giggled "A BABY SISTER!"

"A…what?" asked Taffyta.

"A baby sister!" Candlehead sang again, still a-giggles about the thought of someone younger running around the game "Her name is Roly an-!"

"Cool it, C-Butt." Lumi laughed bashfully "Um, it's cool ya think Roly is nice an' all but-!"

The sound of soft snickering was heard, the boy in green looking over to see Taffyta shaking in laughter.

"Aw, c'mon!"

" _PHAAAAAAA-_ _ **HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!"**_

Unable to keep it bound, Taffyta ERUPTED into laughter, finding it next to impossible to stop as the thoughts of a green-haired baby danced in her mind.

"Baby!" she laughed again "BABY, BABY, BABY, BABY!"

"What's so funny about that?" Lumi grumped "Ya act as if havin' a siblin' is a weird thing."

Finally catching herself, the strawberry racer stood up, a curtly little smile on her face.

"Aw, ya know I was just kiddin'." The girl sang "But I never wudda thoughts that Wumi was a big bwuddah type! OoooOOOOoooooOOOH!"

Had anyone else been there they would have buckled down for a battle, one against pink and green, but rather Lumi smiled and returned his focus to the grilling fish.

"Heh, ya got me there." The boy chuckled "Can't deny tha big brother part'a me."

"Well, in any case be prepared." Taffyta continued, strolling tartly away "Just because I'm racin' tomorrow doesn't mean we get ta slack off! We've got LOTS of ground ta cover, Lumz."

Taffyta then left the two back to their cooking, Candlehead feeling mighty confused to the way Lumi had responded to her friend's teasing.

"Lumi?"

"Ah-huh?"

"What was that about?" Candlehead asked, a slight hint of worry dancing in her voice "I wouldn't have brought up Roly if I had known Taffy would tease ya bout it so-!"

"It's fine, C-Butt. Just fine."

"But what about-?"

The boy crept closer the silly racer, whisper a few sugar sweets in her ear. For a moment, the girl did not react but slowly her eyes grew bigger, and bigger, AND BIGGER.

"No! Is that _**TRUE?!**_ _ **"**_


	15. Chapter Fourteen- Silver Gliding

Chapter Fourteen: Silver Gliding

Restless heads drifted throughout the game of Sugar Rush and they didn't just belong to a wayward princess or a team of rambunctious rebels. Everyone in the game felt a searing discomfort surrounding them, a sort of prolonged ache of anxiousness of what was to happen to them next. The discovery of Snowanna's home may have broken then and may have been a peek into possibilities for the other racers but their excitement was partially squashed, the knowledge that Snake could come in and destroy any hopes they had with a single blow, Vanellope right behind him to aid him and act oblivious to the incidents.

If anything, this is what made Taffyta, and to a point the boy called Lumi, more determined than ever. The girl in pink was absolutely SICK to the wrapper of Vanellope's 'ability' to weasel her way out of situations as well as her obtuseness of what was going on in her kingdom. The girl felt that everything was an act.

Vanellope's sadness, her confusion, and her sudden 'weakness' against Snake and the other characters she had let run free in Sugar Rush. Vanellope was fully aware of what was going on but she was using her position and glitch as a crutch, anything to gain sympathy from the arcade to allow her to act like the biggest bully of them all.

Taffyta glowered as she gripped the covers of her bed but something else was swimming in her mind, something familiar yet something she could not unlock. Her anger at Vanellope, as much as she would tell herself that from the past, the TRUE past, she held no animosity towards her, there was another part of her that disagreed, that held strong negative feelings towards the princess but she didn't know why.

What could be the origins of these emotions?

Perhaps another reveal would do the trick to unearth it.

Day came and it was Taffyta's turn to run the track, Candlehead and Lumi cheering her on from the stands. She felt a little better seeing them smile, hearing their honest cheers thrown towards her. If anything, it seemed that their cries helped the player on as well as she was doing much better when she was picked. Rather than coming so many paces behind Vanellope she found the player taking her to third, to second to-!

"Almost first…" the girl sighed, missing Vanellope by a mere pixel again as the main race ended.

"This isn't fair!"

Making sure to stay in character, the little racer moved her eyes towards the screen, seeing the frustration in the racers face.

"Why does Vanellope get that move?" the racer said "She gets to use all the Seekers AND a move that can move her five miles ahead of everyone? And they don't have a special move to counter it? Who thinks that's fair?"

Taffyta glared at Vanellope, the vanilla racer sensing a tingle down her spine.

"See Vanellope?" the pink racer huffed, spinning a lollipop between her hands "Not EVER player here thinks your top shelf."

Vanellope scowled, cheeks turning red. Months previously she would have been able to play back Taffyta's comment with a joke, knowing she was jealous but deep within the girl's code the comment landed hard and it HURT.

It wasn't so much that Taffyta had brought up her glitch but rather how things were unraveling around her. First there was Lumi who had revealed his true feelings for her right before the crowd, then there was the possibility of more things to uncover in the game and how Vanellope, even with her own powers, may not be able to do them herself.

Just the thought that she had no powers made the girl twitch in rage but she calmed herself, remembering that if she lost focus, she lost games.

"Taffyta?"

The girl in pink stopped in her tracks but refused to face the Princess.

"Yeah, what?"

"Why don't we take some of that sass ta tha track?" Vanellope tried to smirk, the side sof her mouth twitching "Then MAYBE we can get a proper rematch with tha players tomorrow."

Another roster race, another placement. Taffyta had made it, Vanellope had made it.

Once again, it was on.

Of course Taffyta hadn't made it to first but her constant close leads to second were only showing just how determined she was to win.

Or at worse, driving Vanellope right out of the game and crashing onto the arcade floor.

Whatever the reason, Vanellope still felt mighty nervous and even the cheers of her new 'friends' didn't help. Snake was of course there, going on the loudest about how the other racers were not up to snuff with her 'talents' but as Vanellope looked to the side…

The other racers; they were celebrating with themselves.

Vanellope could hear the lot congratulating themselves and celebrating TAFFYTA, acting as if her second placement was a genuine first and what made it even stranger? Taffyta was showing THEM the same warming comfort, laughing with the others who had come in after her as if they had won first place as well.

This could not be real, this could not be the Taffyta Muttonfudge that Vanellope knew but as hard as she tried the deny it the proof was there before her.

And it hurt.

Vanellope was surrounded by so many unfamiliar faces, brought in and APPROVED by Snake…

Yet the real sweetness of the game had long since left her behind, enjoying themselves in the company of each other after realizing they were no longer welcomed to hers.

The girl could remember when she wanted to be their friends, despite their constant rejection and bullying, and the chance was given to her…

But even after everything had been reset, even after they had accepted her back in they had once against abandoned her, turning away from her to form their own groups….

 _But in this case, perhaps the fault did lie on her._

"Hey kid!"

The girl gave a squeak, looking up to see Ralph and the others smiling down at her.

"Great race today! Ya really kicked it!" the Wrecker beamed, proud of the racer but Vanellope on the other hand?

She didn't feel so good, the weight of the trophy feeling more like a burden than proof of another success.

"Um, Ralph?"

"You okay?" the big man asked in concern "No one is botherin' ya are th-?"

"I gotta do somethin' for a bit…" the racer broke in, placing her trophy on the ground and nervously going to her kart "Just….somethin', okay?"

"Ya sure ta don't need our help?" asked Felix, the worry already brimming up inside of him but before her could take a step-

"Don't worry. That won't be necesssssary!"

Calhoun wrinkled her nose at the very sight of Snake, the reptilian baddie slithering up to her husband and putting a hand up to stop him.

"If Vanellope needssss anyone, _**I**_ can take care of it."

"Don'tcha have another game ta go to?" Calhoun snorted, eyeing the creature up and down "With as much time as ya spend here, I'm surprised your own place hasn't thought ya gamed jumped."

Ralph felt a massive lump forming in his throat; why did she have to say that?

"Ssssargent…." The snake hissed, giving her an untrustworthy smile "My game matessss know of my dutiessss here. Sssso there issss no problem. Perhapssss you sssshould worry much more about your own game. Wouldn't want anyone to get eaten by a rouge Ccccybug would we?"

The female Marine wasn't dim to see what moment THAT comment was aimed towards but she kept her cool, if only not to cause too much of a ruckus out of game.

"Tha Cybugs aren't a problem…." She grinned, moving in closer to Snake-Oil "But perhaps you'd like ta see 'em up close yourself? Get a real good look at 'em."

"TAMMY." Felix sighed, taking his beloved by the hand "Let's go. Vanellope has things to do by herself? It's best that we not disturb her."

Snake's bitter frown deepened as he watched the adults leave, knowing that his slip up with Calhoun earlier was still going to leave a massive mark on his reputation but so long as he had Ralph and Vanellope on his side he knew he could do anything.

Speaking of the Princess…

He turned, seeing her dash off back to the castle some good distance before him.

" _What'sssss got her-?"_

"So what are we gonna do next?"

Candlehead's voice caught the Baddie's attention, his eyes focusing on the pink-clad girl as she gathered around Taffyta and the mysterious boy in green.

"Beezie is with Snowy now." Taffyta said "So it's best we leave to whatever they're gonna do. But there is someone I've been meanin' ta talk to."

"Who?" asked Lumi, adjusting his fisherman's cap.

Taffyta smiled and snapped her fingers, putting arms around each of the kids. Without another word the trio went off, Snake's eyes narrowing as he watched them.

He was still angry at the humiliation he had suffered at the hands of the kids and to his very scales he wanted to extract payment back.

" _Sssso what are you doing now, Muttonssssludge?"_

* * *

"Are ya sure he went this way?" asked Candlehead, Taffyta leading her and Lumi towards the main garage.

"Where else is Swizz gonna be after a race?" the strawberry racer smirked, not noticing Candlehead taking Lumi by the arm as she pulled him away.

"Hey, C-!"

"Shh!"

"Shhh?"

The two stayed a good distance away from Taffyta, Candlehead looking around nervously " _What do ya remember?"_

" _Huh?"_

"' _Bout Swizz."_ Candlehead whispered towards Lumi again " _What's special 'bout him?"_

Lumi knew that Candlehead was HUNGRY to learn as much as she could with the plans they had concocted but he never considered HOW hungry she was. For some reason he stopped, eyes wide at the girl who only wanted to know her place in a kingdom that no longer felt at home.

" _Lumi?"_

Anyone could SENSE the nervousness pouring from the boy, Lumi frozen in his tracks and feeling his knees knocking together. He looked over towards Taffyta again, the girl strutting along down the path as they got closer and closer to their apposed destination.

" _A-Ah…"_

" _Um, is it that super secrety?"_ Candlehead murmured to herself, looking forlorn again " _O-Okay, never mind me askin'. I just-!"_

" _No!"_ Lumi blustered out, not wanting to upset the girl anymore than she already was " _Swizzle!"_

The boy looked over both shoulders, gazed upon every brush to insure that any out-of-gamers were NOT within earshot.

" _Um…Swizz? He…"_

C'mon Lumi.

" _H-His place?"_ the boy whispered _"His folks? They…they had a body shop."_

" _A body shop? Like a place where ya buy bodies?"_

" _Ya know what a body shop is!"_ Lumi said, flustered " _It was-! It was tha top place in tha whole kingdom ta go ta when ya needed fixin'! Cars, boats, your oven, tv? Swizz an' his folks-!"_

"Oh!" the ditzy racer smiled, no longer keeping her voice mum "Sooooo, they were like a family of Fix-Its?"

The boy in green blinked in confusion, not sure how to respond to the grinning girl.

"So they could build anythin' an FIX anythin'? That sounds sooooo COOL!"

The boy grimaced, putting his hand behind his head "H-hehe, y-yeah it does. I-I know they came out ta help us a lotta time with our boats an-!"

"Maybe-!" the girl gasped, her pigtails jumping "Maybe once we get Swizz' place back together, he can do some really cool things to our cars! Make 'em run SUPER FAST an' then we can have our own cool nifty tricks like Vanellope!"

Lumi peered down at his feet, wanting to turn back and head towards home again "C-Butt, I told ya before. Ya already got a lotta neat tricks. Ya don't hafta do everythin' like Vanellope ta have fun racin'."

There was softness and warmth in Candlehead's smile as she looked at Lumi, "Heh, thanks! But maybe, if he could…ya think Swizz can make us up a power-up that makes us glitch like Vanellope?"

"Ya don't need it."

"But…but if we had it-!"

"Darn is, C-Butt! Ya don't need a glitch!" Lumi roared, letting his temper get the better of him. The candle-headed girl yelped as she jumped back, Taffyta turning around to catch the very second of the scene.

"HEY."

The boy backed down, fear rising once he saw the sharp eyes of Taffyta going into him "I-I-!"

"Lumi, c'mon!" the strawberry racer said, going right to her friend and standing by her protectively "I'm bettin' a lot on ya NOT bein' Turbo or whatever Snake's got cooked up in his mind. Don't prove him RIGHT."

The boy knew better to keep his tongue in check, nodding at the white haired girl before looking at Candlehead, though with some hesitation of course.

"S-Sorry. I didn't mean ta launch on ya like that."

The other girl uncurled, breathing about before regaining her sunny composer "Naw! It's okay!"

How could Candlehead be so forgiving, so trusting?

Maybe THAT'S how Turbo got her.

"Um, are ya SURE Swizzle is still here." Lumi asked Taffyta, wanting nothing more than to change the conversation and the mood. The girl flipped the brim of her hat, Lumi seeing one of her dark brows arching up.

"A'course he's here!" the girl smirked "Any place he can get his ride tuned up so-!"

" _ **OW!"**_

The kids gasped, jumping back at the sudden shout from within the building.

" _Urgh, brittle piece of-!"_

"Uh, heeeee- _ **LOOOOO?**_ " Taffyta sang out, knocking on the side of the garage door, Swizzle coming into view as he poked his head up from behind the Tongue Twister.

"Gah, what are ya doin' here?!"

"Ya know, I could ask ya the same thing but I'm feelin' kinda nice today so I'll leave it alone." Taffyta smirked, Lumi snickering behind her.

"Feelin' kinda nice? It _**MUST**_ be a good day!"

Both Candlehead and the boy shared another giggle, Taffyta quickly springing up behind them and bonking them on the head.

"As I was sayin'…." The girl continued "Got a moment ta spare? We needs ta talks."

"'Bout what?" Swizz asked, wiping his hands of baking grease.

The strawberry racer looked about, checking to make certain that she and the others were not followed. She jumped to and from every door and window, shutting them tight and once things were secure-

"Less ya been hidin' in here for the past few days, ya know what happened ta Snowy."

"Yeah." Swizz replied, sadness appearing on his face "Snake got her good. I tried talkin' 'bout makin' some sort of security device for her ta keep him away but she-!"

"It's not just that, Swizz!" Taffyta interrupted, going over to a table and pulling out Lumi's makeshift map "Tha fact that Snowy's place even showed up is what we're talkin' about!"

"Who drew THIS?" Swizz asked, looking at the scribbles "Did ya guys go back ta tha farms? Tie markers ta tha Peeps again an' let 'em run loose? Gah, ya know how angry they get when ya do that an-!"

"Hey, it's not MY fault I can't draw!" Lumi pouted, Swizz realizing his mistake.

"Oooh, don't worry 'bout it, Lumi." Candlehead said in a sweet tone, patting him on the head and oblivious to his annoyance "Not all'a us can draw! Gloyd though! He might be a butt-face but he can dr-!"

"AN-E-WAAAAAY." Taffyta said, slamming her hand on the table "When Snowanna's place showed up, it matched tha place EXACTLY where Lumi drew it on HIS map but it's nowhere on OUR map!"

Swizz observed the drawing again, his brain kicking into gear.

" _Hmmmm…."_

"You're tha one who was able ta get Lumi outta his shell, LITERALLY." Taffyta said "Ya think ya can explain what's goin' on with this?"

Swizzle thought and thought and thought, his mind going over the problems twenty times over at the speed of light but still-

There was that wall.

" _Darn it."_

"Swizzle?" Candlehead asked, the worry clear in her voice.

"Ai…" the boy growled to himself, pacing back and forth, back and forth, back and forth against the ground.

"Whoa, settle up there Swizz. You're gonna run a hole in the ground."

"Games can have many hidden places…" the boy said, his voice sounding deeper, his mannerism much more serious.

"He's goin' inta GENIUS MODE." Candlehead said, nudging Lumi.

"An' as Vanellope's hideout showed us, there are still a lotta places programmers can leave unfinished even if the game is shipped an' completed. Snowanna's place MIGHT have been one of 'em-!"

"But I can remember it plain as day!" Lumi shouted, going up to Swizzle "It wasn't unfinished! It was complete an' we all went there an-!"

"That's not what I meant…" the boy said "What I meant was…maybe Snowy's place….maybe it was finished but never placed inta tha game."

"Then why was everythin' there?" sasked Taffyta "An' more importantly, if this place wasn't finished or supposed ta be in tha game, why in tha heckie would Turbo be so scared ta hide it like that? I mean, ya shudda seen tha puzzle he put on it!"

"There was a lock on it?" Swizz asked, going over to the map once more, mumbling to himself "So…maybe there was something else to this! Maybe Turbo wudda left us thinsg had they just been unfinished but-!"

"Swizzle!"

"I'm thinkin', I'm thinkin'!" the boy said, pressing his fingers on his temples "I-! I just can't-!"

Once more there was a block in the boy's brain and no matter how hard he tried to string the many pieces together there was something that prevented him from doing so. SO many pictures were popping up but with each new image something came along to contradict it. He saw Turbo but then he saw King Candy but then he saw someone else! The more he thought, the more unfamiliar with this own home he became and then he saw SNAKE-!

"Darn it…"

"Ya okay, Malarkey?" Taffyta asked, worry in her voice "We wouldn't want your BRAIN ta have a blow out!"

"Don't worry 'bout me." The boy said, huffing and feeling frustrated "I set out to solve puzzles all the way through an' I intend ta do tha same with this one!"

"But what can ya get from this, Swizz?" Lumi asked "I'm havin' a hard enough time tyrin' ta get everyone ta believe what I say so what can ya-?"

"I have an idea on how all of this got started…." The lollipop racer said as he looked down at Lumi's map once more "Lumi's tales an' memories make sense to a character that was finished but never implemented. An' Snowanna's house an' this map makes me think that we still gotta lotta stuff ta uncover from this game that Turbo messed up."

"I-If that's true." Candlehead whimpered nervously "Then…then what about Vanellope?"

"What about her?" Taffyta frowned, not too happy to hear that name.

"How is she gonna act if we keep findin' things? I mean, she was pretty, um, kinda weirded out when Snowanna's home came up so-"

"So she can suck on sour-balls for all I care."

"TAFFYTA!"

"Lil Miss Princess can sit back an' let others enjoy somethin' once in a while." The strawberry racer said in an acidic tone "An' sides that, she needs ta learn she's not tha center of tha arcade."

* * *

Vanellope lay in the center of the throne room, alone, cold, and weighed down by every pixel in her game.

"What am I gonna do?" She moaned to herself, shoving a pillow in her face "What am I gonna d-?"

"YOUR EXCELLENCE!"

Vanellope let out a startled shout as she glitched to her feet, Snake slithering down the halls at great speed.

"S-S-Snake Oil!? What's goin' on?!"

"President Von Sssschweetzzzz." Snake scowled as he looked at the girl, unaware of her nervousness as he hovered over her "This is very unfortunate for me to ssssay but I do believe.? We have traitors amoungsssst ussss!"

"TRAITORS?!" Vanellope blustered out, jumping back.

"And you can guessss the ssssuspectsssss…" the reptile hissed again "What other rotten cavitiessss would be plotting againsssst you?"

* * *

"So it's settled." Taffyta said, patting a hand in her fist "Tomorrow the expedition begins! Er, continues?"

"But where do we start?" asked Lumi "There are so many places in the game that are still hidden so-?"

"An' ya can lead us there." Taffyta smiled, poking the confused boy on the nose.

"'Ey, we got lucky with Snowy." Lumi replied, looking rather glum for the moment "But I'm not tha puzzle master ta everythin' here!"

"That's why we have Swizzle!" grinned the strawberry girl as she leaned upon Swizzle, giving his forehead a rub "If we run inta anythin', he'll be able ta crack it, 'specially with this brain!"

"Taffyta, give me some room…." The boy sighed "I'm excited as ya are ta get this goin' but we still need ta be careful. I mean, who knows what we could find an' what effects it could have on tha game!"

"If it means showin' Vanellope she's not tha hottest glitch in Glitchtown, I'm all for it!"

"Taff."

The girl looked over, Candlehead glancing at her sadly.

"I wanna find out about this game as much as tha next racer…." Candlehead moped, twiddling her fingers "But…but don't ya think you're bein' a bit too hard on Vanellope? I mean-"

The strawberry racer growled, putting her hands on her hips "What do ya mean if I'm bein' 'too hard'?"

"I just mean….." Candlehead continued "If we find out more 'bout tha game an'…an' us, then-?"

"Then what?"

The cake-headed girl stop, feeling nervous in the midst of her friends. While she did want to prove to the game's President she wasn't just a bully, HER plans did not completely align with those of Taffyta's.

Candlehead still had her mind out on FUN, as in having fun with Vanellope. She knew that Taffyta and the vanilla racer had always been at odds but her biggest goal, the one dream she had always clutched upon?

Bringing the two together.

"I just don't want people ta fight anymore…." The girl whimpered, looking down at her feet "It's been that way since we've been plugged in an'!"

"That's _**VANELLOPE'S**_ fault." Taffyta huffed as she turned around "All'a this cudda been avoided had she stopped actin' as if her farts didn't stink an' be tha President she's forcin' us ta call her."

"I-I….I don't think it's like that, Taff." Candlehead responded, indeed feeling like the odd sweet out.

"Ya gotta admit though, she has been actin' weird since tha whole Snowy thing." Swizz said, putting a hand to his chin as he paced around "I mean, Minty told me about how she acted 'bout tha whole singin' comment but she couldn't have been angry 'bout it for that l-!"

In the midst of his chatter, the boy's foot caught upon the bottom of a tarp.

"WHOA!"

"Ah, Swizz!" shouted Candlehead, watching the boy go down. Taffyta sighed heavily, putting a hand to her brow.

"Ya know, for someone as smart as you you'd THINK you could walk an' talk at tha same time?"

The stumble was harmless enough, the boy landing with only a bump to his knees but it was what he scrambled to do AFTER his fall that caught everyone's attention. Lumi was the first to look, seeing Swizz swipe the tarp into his hands and clumsily place it back on the object behind him.

"Hey, Swizz-?"

"Just some junk!" the lollipop racer blurted out "N-Nothin' ta get all worried about or tell Vanellope about or-!"

"Wait, hold on a moment." Taffyta said, her curiosity now piqued "What didn't ya want us ta tell Vanellope?"

"NOTHING!" the boy cried again, realizing he had spoken too much "I mean-! It's just somethin' I was tinkerin' with an-!"

He could feel the weight of the eyes going upon him, the realization of another secret only drawing them closer.

Swizz knew he was in trouble now.

" _Guuuuurgh!"_

"I guess it's a bit too special ta show anyone?" Taffyta said, sounding a little embarrassed herself as she tip-toed away from the boy.

" **NO."**

"No?" asked Lumi, his eyes on the other racer as he stood up.

With his head held down and looking as glum as ever, Swizz knew he had to tell the others his own truth.

"Well, if there is someone in this game I can trust…."

"Swizz?"

Taking ahold of the tarp the second boy yanked the material off the hidden object, revealing-!

"WHOA!"

"Holy ho-hos!"

"….What is it?"

Wheels, fenders, and wings. No one knew what it was….

With the exception of ONE person.

"Guess it was only a matter of time before someone say this…." Swizz said, a little smirk peaking on his face "An' I'm lucky enough Vanellope n' her crew haven't made their way in here to see it."

"Yeah, but what IS 'IT'?" asked Taffyta, tapping her foot on the ground "I mean, ya've made a lotta weird stuff over the years Swizzle, but this-?"

"This…." The boy said, finding it near impossible to hold back his smile now "This-! Well, this is somethin' I just-! I just threw together I guess."

"Ya mean ya don't know what it is?" asked Candlehead.

"Call it buildin' on a whim! Or maybe a dream." Swizz said, standing before his creation and giving it another once-over "Ever since Turbo bit the dust, I just-! Well, I really can't explain it."

Lumi looked at the winged kart, his heart thumping loudly against his chest; he recognized the creation, he knew what it was but his voice remained trapped in his throat, too scared to speak up as he already knew that for all the memories he possessed, the others only had darkness.

" _N-No way…"_ the boy in green gulped, shaking hands reaching out for the vehicle _"He…he actually did it! He actually built tha-!"_

" _ **SSSSTOP RIGHT THERE!"**_

The group cried out as a might scream echoed through the garage, eyes going to the front of the building to see the silhouette of a familiar racer….

" _Oh, no…."_

But a **SNAKE** as well.

"Well, well, well….." the larger character hissed between his teeth "What do we have here?"

Taffyta quickly jumped in front of the others, not at all willing to let the snaky baddie have his way with her friends "Just stay calm guys…."

"Guys?" Vanellope asked, looking around in confusion "What-? What are ya still doin' here? Tha races-!"

"That you LOSSSST-" Snake cut in, standing behind Vanellope and nearly knocking her over.

"Tha races ended long ago!" the girl continued, trying to get her so-called friend off of her and regain control over the situation.

"What's it to ya ta know?" Taffyta asked tartly "I thought what we did wasn't important so why do ya care?"

Vanellope frowned, hoping she would avoid Taffyta's attitude "Look, Taff. I just wanna know what's goin' on, that's all? I mean, can't I ask that?"

"Last time ya asked us somethin', Snowy's home ended up bein' broken inta an' ya didn't believe us."

"Becausssse sssshe lied!" Snake hissed out, chuckling under her throat "You'd have to be BLIND not to ssssee that the little bully was lying about what happened."

Taffyta knew that Snake was dangling his guilt before her but she couldn't let him get to her, not in this case. If she wanted to prove to Vanellope, as well as everyone else, that the racers were more than just targets for the arcade the throw their anger off of they would have to stand up for themselves.

"Listen, VON _**CHEATZ**_ …." The strawberry racer began in a cool manner "We're just gettin' things together for tha next race. Or because we're not talkin' in tha proper place does it bother ya?"

"NO!" Vanellope shouted, not realizing how loud she was "I mean…no. No, ya can talk wherever ya want but-!"

"Then what's the problem?" Taffyta snorted "Why bust in here with Snake-Scales like this?"

"He was just worried…." The vanilla racer continued "He said somethin' was goin' on an' I HAFTA check so-!"

" _What is this?"_

A heavy weight of worry fell on the racers but once they saw that Snake's eyes were focused RIGHT upon Swizzle.

"M-Me?"

They watched as the Snake moved past the table and near Swizz' pile of homemade devices, the baddies clutching them roughly in his hands.

"Hey, wait!" cried the lollipop boy "Stop! Those took me DAYS to make!"

"What issss thissss junk?!" Snake hissed angrily, bending and pulling devices after device from the boy's collection.

"STOP!" Swizz cried out again as he tugged back on the crature's coat "They're-!"

" _ **CHEATING DEVICES!"**_

The other racers' skin went cold as the words echoed across the garage.

"W-What, Snake?" gulped Vanellope.

"The little brat!" Snake spat out again, handling a device with no care at all "He'ssss making cheating devicessss for Muttonflub!"

" _ **WHAT!?"**_ Taffyta shouted in anger "They're not cheating devices you crusty creep!"

" _ **THEN WHAT ARE THEY?!"**_ the Baddie roared at the girl, rushing to her and gripping her arm painfully in his hand.

"Let her go!" shouted Lumi as he charged forward but one good swipe from Snake's tail sent him tumbling back into Candlehead's arms.

"Lumi!"

The boy growled, his only thoughts being that of using the creature for chum. He continued to shake and throttle Taffyta like a rag doll, her hat falling onto the ground as her teeth rattled.

" _ **P-PUT ME DOWN!"**_ she cried _**"YOU'RE HURTIN' M-!"**_

"I sssshould have known! What other way could you even get closssse to beating Vanellope, Muttonflub?!"

"Because I have actual TALENT, not just a GLITCH?!" Taffyta snapped, trying her all to fight back against the snake.

" _ **LITTLE LIAR!"**_

"Snake, drop her!"

The reptile turned back, Swizz pulling at his tail "Ya have no proof those are cheatin' devices-! An'-! An' more than that, you're gonna break my stuff if ya handle it like that!"

"Who cares!" Snake shouted, tossing the creation into the wall as hard as he could, the metal and candy shattering "You were going to usssse it for no good anyway!"

"NO!" shouted Swizzle as he ran towards the destroyed creation, holding the bits in his hands.

"Vanellope, stop him!" Candlehead cried out, pointing to the snake "He's gonna destroy tha whole garage!"

Vanellope looked at Candlehead….and froze.

The candle-headed girl was looking at Vanellope helplessly, pleading to her to do something, to take charge, to take lead but-!

Vanellope found that she could not. Even though Snake was destroying Swizz' things, his actions TERRIFIED her.

Why was she this scared? Why couldn't she move?

She had never seen Snake in such a horrific light, the bad guy who had declared himself to ber her loyal friend now recreating it.

Recreating THAT moment.

The moment she could never erase from her mind.

The moment the other racers destroyed her kart, ripping it apart bolt by bolt.

"No! STOP!" Swizz cried out again as he rushed over to his kart but Snake smacked him away.

"Hahah! Look at thissss junk! Worhtlesssss! Usssslessss! Jusssst perfect for a placcceholder like you!"

"Stop, stop, _**STOOOOOOOOOOOOP!**_ " Swizzle cried out, Vanellope hearing the boy's voice edging towards tears "ST-STOP! You can't do this!"

"YES, I CAN!" Snake cried out, breaking another device and hurling it to the ground "Thisss issssn't your game anymore, PLACEHOLDER! It'ssss OURS!"

"What makes you think you have ANY power here, Snake-Bite?!" roared Taffyta.

"Presssssident Von Sssschweetz and I will make ssssure that people like you NEVER bother anyone again!" Snake shouted, holding up a box before tossing it towards the back "And we will make ssssure no one CHEATSSSS asss well!"

The box landed with a crash on the wall, Candlehead leaping in front of Vanellope to push her out of the way before she was hit.

" _ **OOOF!"**_

" _ **OW!"**_

The girl looked, Candlehead crumpling up as she held her leg.

"C-Candles?!"

"I-I'm okay…." The girl meeped, holding her leg to see the tear in her stockings, the sharp cut on her leg as patches of red began to form on her skin.

 _Blood?_

Vanellope felt sick, her stomach starting to bubble and her mouth watering in nausea.

Blood; a weakness that no one else knew.

But seeing Candlehead hurt after attempting to HELP HER quickly snapped the girl back, though she still kept her distance between hersekf and the injury.

"C-Candlehead!" the vanilla racer panted "I-! No! Stay there! Just-! Don't move!"

Vanellope looked around in the midst of the mess for the first aid kit but as she looked down….

Litckey-Split?

Was that-?

Vanellope looked back at the wooden frame from the lickety split box; Swizz had kept it? Swizz had USED it? Swizz had used the same things SHE had for years to build his own creations, to build his experiments….

And Snake had destroyed it. With his bare hands, he had destroyed it all but that wasn't the most painful thing that hit the girl.

No, it was Snake's question; who would use JUNK to build things?

 _She would._

 _She HAD to._

 _And yet-_

"Vanellope, do somethin'!"

"Huh?!"

The girl looked over, Lumi having sat Candlehead on a box as he tried to find something to aid her cut. The way he was looking at her, the anger, the disappointment. Even if Vanellope still did not trust him, the look he gave her was haunting.

" _ **DO SOMETHIN'!"**_

" _ **STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP!"**_

Vanellope voice echoed throughout the garage, the thing needed to bring Snake down from his rampage. Taffyta and Swizz were a mess, the two trying and failing to stop the baddie but as Vanellope marched up to him-

"Put it down."

"Excussse me, Presssident?"

"We're goin'."

"But what about the cheating deviccc-?"

"LET'S GO!" Vanellope barked, Snake actually taken by surprise "I-! We-!"

She gave one look towards Swizz, the boy clutching a pile of broken bits in his hands.

She knew what it felt like to be in that position, she knew what it felt like to watch something she loved become trashed. She didn't know what it felt like to _**LEAD**_ it on though…and she felt TERRIBLE. She had no strength to tell herself to FIX IT. But she had to be strong, as that was what a proper leader would do.

Taffyta gave Candlehead a nod, the two looking down at the ground at the tarp. They were lucky enough that Snake had been so busy in his destruction he hadn't taken notice of the kart before him but somehow, they had to get him out, they had to hide the vehicle away from him.

"Y-Ya heard, Vanellope!"

The racers looked up, shocked to see a boy in green confronting the large reptile.

"What did you sssssay to me, VIRUSSSS?" Snake-Oil hissed, inching closer and closer to Lumi, the boy able ot feel his hot breath against his face.

" _C'mon, guys! Hide it, hide it!"_

"ANSWER ME!" Snake roared, gripping Lumi tightly by the arm and shaking him "You acted so tough before, you cavity!"

"Put him down, now!" Vanellope demanded towards her friend "Even I can say Luni did't do anthin' THIS TIME, so put him down!"

"But Pressssident, you can not trusssst them!" the creature hissed, a cackle in his throat "The moment we leave them be, they'll be off planning sssssomething elsssse. We need to teach them a lessssson!"

"I said STOP!" Vanellope cried out again, taking Lumi by his free hand and yanking him to the ground. The two children stumbled, falling atop each other, the mess the perfect distraction.

"Candlehead, Swizz! Wrap that thing up an' get it outta here!" Taffyta ordered, the two racers jumping to their feet and scrambling to get the kart out of Snake's sight.

"Look at what you've done you clumssssy oaf!" Snake shouted at Lumi, bowling him over again.

The boy frowned, standing on his feet as he eyed the out-of-gamer coldly "'Scuse me, Snake-Bait! I wasn't tha one who came crashin' through here like a wreckin' ball!"

"SSSSSHUT UP!" the larger character ordered "You have a lot of nerve talking back to ssssomone like ME, BRAT! You don't-!"

 _ **KA-RASH!**_

The sudden sound caused the 'poised' reptile to yelp out loudly, his form ducking down in his own coils as he looked around.

"W-What was-?!"

" _ **CANDLEHEAD!"**_

Everyone turned, seeing the aforementioned racer laying painfully on her side, cans of cooking oil and other items rolling around her.

"Get up, get up!" Taffyta said as she raced towards her friends, trying to lift her up "We need ta get outta here before-!"

The darkness of Snake's body covered the other, their eyes showing fear as they gazed upon him. His lips curled back deviously, mind set on destroying whatever was behind the racers. He chuckled, knuckles cracking loudly.

" _Oooh, I am going to enjoy thisssss…."_

Swizz didn't have a moment to beg, to utter a word before Snake dove towards the kart, the children hearing the blood curdling hiss of the reptile as he sliced through the tarp and right through the shell of the kart.

"NO!"

The sound of snapping candy, shattering sugar and creaking foil filled the entire garage as Snake tore his way through Swizz's kart with glee. He couldn't even see the object he was destroying fully but that didn't matter to him. So long as he was destroying something that belonged to the other racers, it was a victory well earned.

"This will teach you!" Snake cackled as he continued to wreck the kart, Swizz watching as he took one of the wings and broke it in two "This will teach you your place! That you are nothing compared to Vanellope!"

" _ **YOU JERK, STOP IT!"**_ shouted Lumi as he rushed over to the melee but Candlehead stopped him once more, pulling him away just as a fender nearly decked him in the face.

Snake continued to laugh as he broke Swizz' kart as if he were in some maddened glee, the boy only able to watch as his hard work was left in ruin.

"Did you think you could out-do Vanellope?!" Snake shouted "You're PLACEHOLDERSSS! PLACEHOLDERS AREN'T SSSSUPPOSED TO WIN! YOU'RE NOT STUPPOSED TO-!"

A flash of light, a glimmer.

Snake stopped his destruction as something shiny and metallic hit his eyes. Everyone paused, left to wonder what had caught the attention of the creature to get him to cease his terror and while they were confused, there was one sweet racer who knew things were only getting started.

Snake moved closer to the object in the mess, tossing around bits of broken kart aimlessly and as he moved closer…

"What the-?"

 _WHOOSH!_

A slight gust of wind flew across the creature's face, green and blue seen in his eyes.

"Hey!"

Swizzle Malarkey.

The boy had dove in at the nick of time to nab the object in his hand, tucking it between his arms and chest. He frowned, body still but steady, hand pressed on the floor and feet ready to run. Then eyes met, the racer and the reptile looking at each other, Snake's attention going back to the shiny object in the boy's arms.

He had to have it, he deserved it!

Swizzle was just a placeholder! He was not worthy of such an item, whatever it was!

"Give it to me."

The boy shook his head no, tucking the item back further.

"I SSSSAID GIVE IT TO ME!"

The reptile dove down for Swizz but the boy tucked and rolled away, allowing for the out-of-gamer to go crashing headlong into a pile of empty oil cans.

"Run, Swizzle!" Lumi shouted, watching as the boy took off "Run! _**RUUUN!"**_

" _ **YOU'RE NOT GOING TO ESSSCAAAAAAPE!"**_

"Snake-Oil, stop!"

It was now a chase of three, Vanellope going after Snake and Snake going after Swizz, the lollipop racer zigging and zagging through the scrapyard to evade the sharp claws of the enraged snake.

" _Gotta get outta here, gotta get outta here!_ " the boy panted to himself, his brain rushing as fast as his chest. He knew he had to hide but if he were to run back to his home it would only lead the Snake and his followers to his base and the moment they laid their dirty paws upon the things he had made there-?

"Can't let them get to it!" Swizz said to himself, shutting his eyes and trying to push himself faster "I-If I can make it out to the station! Maybe I can finally get this guy caught an'-!"

 _ **KABOOM!**_

" _ **AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"**_

The boy screamed in terror as Snake barreled his way through another pile of scrap, sharp fangs and talons aimed for the soft flesh of the little racer.

"Vanellope and I-" the creature hissed "Are going to enjoy THISSSSSS!"

Swizz' eyes darted to the side, noticing Vanellope racing her way towards the two, arms flailing in the air in a panic.

"Stop, stop! Don't hurt him!" the girl cried out "He didn't do anythin'! He didn't-!"

Vanellope cries did not reach the creature as with one swoop of the arm-!

" _ **AAAUGH!"**_

He hit Swizz into a pile of bent foil fenders, his hat rolling from his head onto the ground.

"Swizzle!" Candlehead cried in fear, much too terrified herself to decide what to do "Oooh, no, no, no, NO! We've gotta help him! _**WE'VE GOTTA HELP HIM!"**_

Taffyta felt the rage starting to bubble within her again, watching as Snake mercilessly tore after Swizz and the President of the game?

" _She could easily glitch him outta there! She could get him away from that creep but she's not! She's not because she wants him to get hurt! She_ _ **WANTS**_ _this to happen!"_

" _ **TAFFYTAAAAAAAA!"**_

The girl turned, Candlehead frightened to tears "C-Butt-!"

"He's gonna-! Swizz is gonna-!"

Swizz knew he could never outrun Snake at this point, the reptile FURIOUS and ready to rip him to shreds but after everything he had gone through, after everything that had been destroyed…

Something in his heart and mind told him to go, something within him told him to keep running, to escape, not to let the bitterness of the creature beat him.

"BACK OFF, SNAKE-FACE!" the boy shouted, turning back and glaring at the creature "I'm not lettin' ya get your greasy paws on-!"

Swizz' words may have shown the courage in his heart but they would not prepare him for what was to happen next.

The moment Swizz's foot touched the ground, the soil underneath him gave way. He let out a cry as he felt himself sink, a massive hold forming underneath him.

"Swizzle!" Vanellope gasped as she cried out, reaching for the boy but it was too late. In a split second he was swallowed up by the hole, his cries echoing in her eyes as he got further and further away _**"SWIZZLEEEEE!"**_

The boy sailed down the hole at great speed but he kept ahold of the metallic item he had saved from the clutches of snake.

 _ **BOOM!**_

He hit the wall with his side.

 _ **BANG!**_

His leg collided with something buried.

 _ **BASH!**_

The journey down was a rough one, the boy finally landing with a THUD several yards from the surface. Up-top Vanellope panted in fear, the girl felled to her knees as she looked with terrified eyes towards the sinkhole. All was silent around her save her for her own terrified breaths.

" _S-Swizz."_

There was no reply, a hollow wing blowing around.

" _ **SWIZZ!"**_

Vanellope glitched to the hole and looked down, the faint light above her proving her with some illumination to see the crumbled body of the racer down below.

"Swizz, say somethin'!" the girl shouted again, fearing the worst as no response came "Please, wake up! Wake up!"

"U-Uhh?"

Slowly but surely, there was movement. The vanilla racer's heart skipped a beat, a smile of hope appearing on her face as she glitched and twitched.

"Swizz! Swizzle, you're okay?!"

The boy ached all over, his ears ringing and his body sore on every pixel "W-Wait, ho-hold on…" he grunted, his voice hoarse "I think-!"

A sharp pain shot through the boy's leg, a scream escaping his throat and echoing off the walls of the hole.

" _ **AUUUUURGH!"**_

" _ **SWIZZLE!"**_ Vanellope called out again, this time not question to whether or not the boy was hurt "Hold on, Swizz! We'll-!"

"Leave him there."

The girl froze, looking up to see Snake once again behind her, his stance alone showing the contempt wrapped up behind his scales.

"But we can't-!"

"He deserves to be left down there…." The snake said, turning away "And besides, what's one placeholder going to do for the game?"

"But….but we-!"

Even if the alliance between Snake and the President were strong in words, as Vanellope sat near the edge of the hole she could do nothing as she watched her 'friend' slithering off and away, leaving her at the scene of the accident.

Never in her life had the girl felt so helpless, the realization that a friend and game-mate was in desperate need for help….

Yet the measures expected of her was to leave him to rot.

Was this what they expected her to do? Was this how they wanted things to go in the game.

"Vanellope!"

The girl glitched again, looking up to see the other racers rushing towards her.

"Swizz! Where's Swizz?!" Taffyta panted, looking around for the boy. Vanellope could say nothing, words making no sense as she looked at the hole and then looked back at the others.

"Well?!" asked Lumi, his head turning in every direction that Vanellope pointed "C'mon, where is-?!"

"He-!" Vanellope stammered "An' then Snake! In-! In tha hole an-!"

"Hole?" blinked Candlehead as she looked down "Somethin' in tha hole?"

" _ **HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELP!"**_

Taffyta turned as white as her hair, peering into the pit "Swizzle!"

From what little light there was, the group could make out the boy as he waved his hands towards them, crumbles of soil still raining down on him.

"D-down here guys!"

"We gotta help him!" Taffyta said, instantly going into action "Is there any rope around?!"

The strawberry racer turned towards Vanellope, their eyes locked.

"C'mon, Vanellope!"

"I don't know!" the vanilla racer wailed "I DUNNO, I DUNNO, I DUNNO!"

The girl crumpled, ducking down and placing her head on her knees; this was far too much she could handle and she wasn't sure if people were upset at HER or about Swizz falling or whatever else was happening around her. All she knew was she couldn't take it. Her friend was in danger…and she just didn't know what to do.

Taffyta scowled, looking down at Vanellope with cold eyes.

"Just stay here." She growled "I'll be right back."

And with that Taffyta dashed off leaving Vanellope alone with the other two topside racers.

"It'll be okay, Vanellope." Candlehead said, trying her best to be the cool head in the mix "J-just don't worry 'bout a thing. Taffyta's gonna get help."

Help was something that was desperately needed given the situation but the more Vanellope thought-

No. No, she couldn't let this happen. She couldn't let a fellow game-mate fall like this!

Meanwhile Taffyta dashed as fast as she could towards the castle, stopping not for a second even as the other candy citizens watched her zoom by.

"Nice job, Von Cheatz…." The girl growled "Just when we need ya, what do ya do? Ya glitch up!"

It was bad enough that Vanellope had stood by and let Snake trash the garage but her actions when Swizz was hurt? Was this the President they were all supposed to praise, to look up to?

" _ **HEY!"**_

A deep voice caught Taffyta off guard, the girl squeaking as she slid to a halt.

"Hey, Muttonfudge!"

The girl turned, seeing three familiar figures standing before her, her jaws dropping.

"M-Mr. Wreck-It?!"

* * *

"Everyone stand back!" Vanellope grunted as she stood up "I'll have Swizz back up in no time!"

"Please be careful!" Candlehead begged, scooting back as she and Lumi covered their eyes from the light of the glitch.

GLITCH

 _Down._

GLITCH.

 _Down._

 **GLITCH!**

Down she went, Vanellope carefully timing her jumps until she made it to Swizz.

"Swizzle!" the girl laughed in joy but she still found it hard to speak clearly from her actions "I-! Wh-what a sight for-!"

The vanilla racer took another look at the boy, holding her tongue at the joke. This was not the place to throw around banter, given how bashed and bruised Swizzle appeared to be. He moaned, still finding it difficult, and of course PAINFUL, to even stand on his legs and it was this that finally made Vanellope realize the gravity of the situation and just how bad of a condition Swizz was in.

This was no time to joke, this was a time to be a leader.

"Swizz?"

The boy looked up, his vision blurry but still strong enough to see the look of shame on Vanellope's face. She lowered herself down, wrapping an arm around him.

"Lemme…lemme help ya up."

There was some struggle with the added weight but together, the two found a way to get stable on their feet but Vanellope could tell by the way her friend was leaning that he couldn't put a lot of weight on his legs.

"Ouch…"

"Is-is it broken?" the girl gulped, looking down at the boy but to her surprise he started to chuckle, giving her a soft look.

"N-Nah…" he panted "Maybe a busted ankle, a sprain here or there? But I'd know a broken leg an' thankfully…"

"Sorry."

Swizz looked up, noticing the sorrow on the girl's face "What's that, Nelly?"

"Sorry. I…I didn't want this ta happen." Vanellope's breath rattled in her throat, her chest aching "When I get ya up, I'm takin' ya right ta Felix! You'll be ready ta race before-!"

"Vanellope?"

The girl looked over, taking notice that Swizz' attention was drawn towards something further away. She could feel the boy pulling away from her but she gripped onto his jacket, trying to keep him steady as not to fall over.

"Swizz, what are ya doin'? We need ta head UP!"

Swizz head nothing, his eyes fixated on something further down the hole, Vanellope taking notice once she saw the tunnel sprawled out before her.

"Where….where did this come from?"

"I dunno…" the boy said, speaking up finally "But…"

"But-? But as in 'But we need ta get outta here an' there is no way I'm gonna make ya go down this dark hole, Vanellope'?"

Swizz pulled forwards again, nearly sending the vanilla racer over on her face.

"Do ya hear it?"

"H-Hear what?"

"I….I hear it!" Swizz repeated, his voice sounding as if he were drifting off "I-! It sounds like it's getting' louder! Don't ya hear it?"

"Swizzle, snap outta it!" Vanellope cried out in worry, shaking the boy by his shoulders "Tha only thing I hear is my brain tellin' me ta get outta here an' get ya ta tha hospital! I'm scared this place is gonna cave in any-!"

Before another word could come from the girl's mouth, Swizz escaped her grasp and stumbled forward.

"Ah, Swizz-!"

Even if he were in pain the boy managed to keep himself up, leaning on the walls for support. Despite his own common sense something within him was telling him to keep going, to keep moving forward.

And the object pressed in his hands?

It hummed, it glowed, Swizz feeling some sort of aura coming off of it and his own pixels reacting, a strange tingle hitting him from head to toe.

"You're not goin' anywhere-!" Vanellope ordered, ducking under Swizz' arm again to support him "Withiut some help."

Vanellope was regretting enough as it was but even if she didn't know what lay before her in the tunnels…

"Swizz?"

Something told her not to turn back.

"I-!"

A jolt went through his head, the boy moaning in pain as he sank to the ground.

"Swizzle!"

"No-! No, keep goin'!" the boy said, clutching the item in his arms "I-If we turn back now-!"

"Swizz, what is this?"

The boy opened his eyes, noticing Vanellope looking at the shiny object in his clutches. At this point there was no use to hiding anything, especially given how it was reacting to the energy around it. He pressed it closer to his chest, biting his lips nervously.

"Swizz….tell me. Please, tell me. Ya can trust me."

Could he?

"I promise ya, Swizz. Whatever ya wanna tell me? It'll stay here."

The boy felt conflicted, unable to brush away his own sentiments of how he felt about Vanellope in the past and in the present but the situation they both found themselves in was not a place to hold grudges. Not only was HE hurt but he could tell that she was as well, if not PHYSICALLY than something else inside.

 _It's alright, Swizz. It's alright._

The boy slowly opened his arms, allowing for Vanellope to see the item in hand. At first she couldn't tell what the object was, especially given how it kept glowing before her but the designs on it, the letters and words.

Malarkey Motors?

"I know it was wrong…" Swizz began, his voice low and sad "But I took a few nights off. I went ta a lotta of that dumps an' scrap heaps around tha game."

"Ya did?"

The boy nodded, his head kept down "I…I dunno why but- I just had to. I felt like I had ta look for somethin', like I was missin' somethin'."

"Why didn't ya tell me?" Vanellope asked "I cudda helped ya look if ya-?"

"I didn't wanna bother ya or ya new friends." The boy responded rather quickly, Vanellope hearing his voice shake "I know…I know ya guys have a lotta important things ta do an' with me bein'-"

"What? Ya bein' WHAT-?"

Swizz gripped the item again, hesitant to speak.

"Swizz, just tell me!" Vanellope piped up "I won't be mad, I won't laugh at ya! I promise that-!"

"Does it even matter?!" the boy shouted "Ya saw what Snake did ta me up there! Even if I had told ya EARLIER he wudda done tha same an' so would everyone else!"

Vanellope squeaked as she jolted back, a little glitch running through her.

"I just didn't wanna be a bother for ya with my stupid inventions so…so that's why I hid everythin'." The boy continued "But when I found this? Somethin' with my name on it, somethin' that belonged ta ME?"

His voice was picking up, as if the excitement were returning.

"I took it from behind tha castle."

"Th-tha castle?"

"That's where this was." The boy nodded "But I was scared because I knew if I were caught, you'd get mad."

"Why-? Why do ya think I'd get mad?"

"Because it's _**YOUR**_ game." The boy responded "It was near _**YOUR**_ castle so of course everyone would think I was stealin' from ya."

"But-!" the girl stammered "But it has your name on it! Why would I think it was STEALIN' if it-!"

"They'd say I made it up." Swizzle said in shame "I know they would because that's what they say about ALL'A us."

Vanellope went silent not because she was surprised but because she knew it was TRUE. Going back to how people reacted to anything the other racers did, she KNEW Swizzle was right. The very moment someone from outside the game caught him taking something away from the castle they would instantly brand him as a thief, that he had taken something from the PRESIDENT of the game. Even if all the evidence was there, no one would believe him because as Snake had said, Swizz was just a placeholder.

He had nothing, he was nothing, he deserved nothing.

"It took me a while ta figure out what this thing was…."

Vanellope looked down, Swizz smiling softly as he held the item before him.

"It appears to be a faceplate of somethin', a larger kart or a truck."

"An' ya wanted ta use it on that new kart?"

The boy nodded, biting hi lip "Y-Yeah…I- I was hopin' I could show tha kart off because…."

"Because what Swizzle?"

The boy looked down, squeezing his hands "Because I wanna show tha arcade I'm more than a placeholder! I can do other things, I-! I can win races an'-!"

"Swizz, calm down!" Vanellope said, only stopping the boy because of how bad she was starting to feel "I-! I…."

What COULD Vanellope say to make the moment any less awkward? It was bad enough that Swizz had gotten hurt, at the hands of one of her new 'confidants' at that, but once more she was stumbling as a leader, unable to find a way to make the situation any easier for either of them.

She moaned, putting a hand to her forehead "Let's get ya outta here. At least then we can do somethin' 'bout this hole an' make sure no one-"

TING

"Huh?"

TING-TING

The two looked down, the item reacting once more. They exchanged glances, Vanellope shaking her head.

"NO."

"But-!"

"Swizzle, NO!" the girl protested as she tried taking the boy towards the entrance of the hole "You're hurt enough as it is, I don't know how much it's gonna take for me ta get back up there but-!"

To her shock, Vanellope felt Swizz slip from under her arm, the boy huddling towards the opposite direction near the dark tunnels before them.

"Swizzle!"

* * *

"This way!" Taffyta said as she led the adults towards the back of the garage "Swizz fell inta a pit when Snake was chasin' after him an' he's hurt REAL bad!"

"Then why didn't Vanellope go in an' get him?" asked Ralph, the tone he used with the girl telling of what he thought of the situation. Taffyta focused her attention back towards the scrap yard, unwilling to let Ralph's distrust of her get to her.

"Ya can ask her when we get there." The strawberry racer replied "She might still be keepin' watch if she stayed th-!"

" _ **TAFFYTA!"**_

Candlehead ran up to the girl in pink, crashing into her.

"Candlehead, what-?!"

"She went in!" the candle-headed racer wept, tears rolling down her eyes "She-! They're both trapped down there!"

"They?!" gasped Taffyta "Swizz AN' Vanellope!? You're tellin' me she actually went DOWN there?!"

"An' she hasn't come out?!" Ralph cried, turning paler by the second.

"No!" Candlehead cried again "It-it's too deep! We can't-!"

Ralph looked around the hole, trying to find the best way to barrel in but after a few moments-

"Gurgh, I'm too big to fit!" the man said, nipping his thumb "An' I just don't wanna BASH the ground in! I could BURY those kids!"

Felix looked around, realizing that once again it was his time to act.

"BABE!"

Calhoun quickly turned, noting the fiery look in her husband's eyes "Aaah, yeah?"

"Got a tracker on ya?"

"Ya know I always do, but-!"

Without wasting a breath, Felix took ahold of the tracker and a line of licorice rope, tying the end to a strong candy-cane bar.

"Two tugs, pull us up!"

The man in blue then LEPT into the darkness of the whole much to the surprise of those around him.

"That heck is he doin'?!"

"Felix, WAIT!" shouted Calhoun "Don't just go-!"

By the time Calhoun's voice echoed to the bottom of the hole Felix was already gunning through the tunnels, a flashlight illuminating the way.

"Where are those kids?!" he panted, heart pounding and his mind thinking the worse.

He knew he should have stepped in earlier the moment he heard trouble was going on in the game. He KNEW he should have done more not only to help Vanellope but EVERY racer in the game. The fact that the attacks had escalated to such a level was proof that things had gotten far out of hand for the candy President to take.

He looked down, seeing tiny footprints in the damp earth. It was a good sign but it didn't erase his worry completely; he wouldn't feel good until he knew both children were safe and well.

"Vanellope!" Felix shouted, eyes darting about "Swizzle! Kids!"

" _What is this place?"_

Felix's ears perked as he heard the familiar, echoy, voice of a vanilla racer ahead of him. He smiled, nearly leaping into the air once he realized Vanellope was still up and about.

" _I dunno! But keep goin'!"_

"Th-that's Swizzle!" Felix nodded to himself, rushing forward "I know that voice anywhere!"

Felix continued his trek through the subterranean tunnels, keeping every pixel at ready for action should he need to clobber something.

"Kids! Can ya hear me?!" he shouted again, nervousness picked up when he saw the ceiling of the caverns crumbling slightly "If you're in an air pocket, stay where ya are! I can get ya out!"

The Hero turned, noticing some papers on the walls. In that second they didn't mean much but he turned again.

"Hey….what?"

Malarkey Motors.

There it was again.

Felix's pace slowed as he studied the artifacts on the walls. They were all dingy, soaked with muddied water and aged but the pictures could still be seen. Distracted for a moment, the little man walked up to a sheet in particular, moving the damp corner up.

There were two figures, a woman and a man but the woman looked the most familiar of the two, her green hair curling into familiar shapes.

"What in the name of Litwak's nana-?"

" _ **OOOW!"**_

" _SWIZZLE!"_

Felix gave a shout, turning back down the path and rushing forwards "Hold on! I'm coming!"

There was light at the end of the tunnel, Felix feeling a blast of cool air hitting him as he entered a large room at the end of the winding underground path.

"Kids!"

And Vanellope and Swizzle were right there though neither of them looked to be in good condition.

"C'mon Swizz! I gotch'a!"

Swizzle held onto his aching leg, regret going through his mind. Maybe his legs were not broken but they were still injured very badly and after so much walking they had finally gave out, the boy left sitting on the ground and gritting his teeth in pain. Felix knew not to waste a beat, darting to the two kids.

"Vanellope, what's wrong with 'im?!"

Vanellope, surprised to see Felix appear so suddenly, could only look at her friend, eyes widened in shock and her voice locked in her throat.

"Kid, just tell me!"

"It was AWFUL!" Vanellope finally managed to say "Snake was chasin' him through tha yard an-!"

The girl didn't have to say anything more, the Hero's skin prickling over with goose-bumps; of COURSE it was Snake, much as he had continued to warn Ralph. He looked down at the boy again and rolled up one of his pant legs, the deep purple bruises spreading against his skin.

Something had to be done. If Snake were more than willing to perform such attacks on the racers then who's to say he wouldn't hold back before he did something WORSE to them?

He scowled, taking his hammer and tapping Swizz on his injuries.

"There." He huffed, nodding his head "Now that we got that over with, let's get ya two outta here."

Swizz looked down at his body, amazed at how he felt and just how quickly he was healed. He had always seen the effects of the Hero's hammer from afar but to actually have it done to his own pixels?

"Th-thanks…." The boy said shyly, trying best not to turn his head away from Felix "Ya didn't hafta do that. At least not for ME."

"Yes, I did."

"Huh, sir?"

"I'm a HERO, young man." Felix said as he tipped his hat "No one should be denied help, no matter who they are or their past."

Both children were silenced by the man's words though in Vanellope's case?

She wanted to get away from the situation as fast as she could.

"H-How are we gonna get outta here?" the girl asked meekly, Felix turning his head back towards the entrance of the room.

"I dropped a rope down here so we should be able ta get out."

"But we can't leave! Not till I figure out where this thing is takin' me!"

"Kid, what THING?" Felix said, getting worried "I can't risk us stayin' down here any longer! Tha roof might collapse!"

"Ya can't tell me ya didn't see 'em." The boy said as he turned towards the adult "Ya couldn't ignore all those posters an' things ya saw shoved down here."

"W-Well, no." Felix replied, feeling antsy and wanting nothing more than to leave the tight space "But what does that have anythin' ta do with-?"

"Who put 'em down here?" Swizzle said, his hands gripping onto the glowing fender "Who COULD have put all this stuff down here an' why does it have my name on it?"

Vanellope felt a familiar shiver going up her spine, reminded of the incident at Snowanna's home. It was happening again, the mystery of the game becoming unburied right before her eyes. She KNEW that King Candy could have been the only one to take the posters and other items and buried them, as he had with Snowanna's possessions but she held her tongue, hoping that perhaps maybe no one would take notice, that they could return to the surface without incident.

But this was not the case, the girl feeling as if things were turning against her. Whatever was going on, whatever code was buried beneath the sweet shell topside was calling to Swizzle. Maybe Vanellope couldn't feel it but perhaps that was because THIS time the moment did not belong to her. This moment was for Swizzle and the boy knew, from the very depths of his code, he could not leave. He could not abandon this no matter what Vanellope or Felix or ANYONE ELSE in Litwak's told him.

"Kid?"

Swizzle looked behind his shoulder, Felix eyeing him worryingly.

"Is somethin'-?"

The boy glowered, clutching the fender tighter to his chest and without so much as a word he took off!

"NO!"

"Swizzle!" Vanellope said, glitching forward "Don't run away! We need ta get outta here!"

The boy wasn't having it, the inner workings of his brain telling him to go faster and faster!

"Swizzle, come back!"

Vanellope wasn't going to let Swizzle get away, glitching closer and closer but as soon as she was just a finger's length away-!

TURN!

The girl cried out as she stumbled, Swizzle making a turn she had not expected or even seen in the maze.

"What the-?"

Swizzle made another hard right, the boy suddenly feeling as if the fender ITSELF was dragging him along.

"Holy HOHOS! What's gotten into-?"

* * *

"Can ya track 'em?"

"Given tha upgrade I made ta this thing-?" Calhoun said as she watched the screen of her tracker flash, three blips coming into view "YES! Got 'em!"

"They're all there?" Candlehead beamed, feeling happier by the second "Hu-RAAAAAY! That means we can rescue 'em!"

"Why'd they go so far inta tha hole though?" asked Taffyta "I mean….look, your husband tied a rope ta pull 'em all out but they're still goin' away from it!"

Calhoun took notice of the observation, running her hands through her hair "Oh, not good. If they're doin' that, it could mean there's another obstruction facin' 'em an' given how THICK tha crust is between here an' the tunnel, Vanellope can't glitch out!"

"Guess I found tha PERFECT time ta WRECK!" Ralph growled, cracking his knuckles.

"Don't go divin' in just yet, Red! Hit one weak point an' tha whole tunnel could collapses, remember?"

Darn it; it felt like at every turn there was a challenge for the bog man to face, his frustration rising.

"Why couldn't he just stay put?!" Ralph shouted, turning towards the other racers.

"Who?" asked Taffyta, Candlehead ducking behind her while Lumi moved closer to her side, eyes narrowing as could tell the anger and blame were being shifted on them.

"That Malarmy kid or whatever his name is!" Ralph growled, worry and angry clashing together "If he had, Vanellope an' Felix wouldn't be in this mess an'-!"

"Why are ya so angry at us?!"

The big man looked down, surprised to see the miffed gummi boy scowling towards him, his shaking knees evident that he was still somewhat nervous inside.

"Why do ya hate us?!"

Again Ralph was taken by surprise, Calhoun's attention drawn to the boy as well.

"W-What?"

"We-!" Lumi began, using all the courage he had to speak towards the giant man "Your 'friend' came into tha garage an' ATTACKED us! He messed up Swizz' stuff AN' got C-Butt HURT!"

Ralph peered down to the shaking girl, seeing the large cuts in her stocking….as well as the deep gashes in her legs.

" _When-?"_

"How come ya don't do ANYTHIN' when we're in trouble but blame it on us when Vanellope makes a mess!" Lumi continued, slamming a foot on the ground "Swizz was just tryin' ta get away from Snake but when he gets hurt it's OUR fault?! Tha only person who matters is VANELLOPE?!"

"That's-!" Ralph tried to catch up, losing his focus on remaining FIRMS on the kid below "That's not true! I just-!"

"WE'RE NOT BULLIES!" Lumi cried out, losing himself at the mercy of the Bad Guy "We're not programmed ta be bullies, C-Butt an' Taffyta ain't bullies no more! The BIGGEST bully in that game was-!"

"Guys, can we just STOP for a moment?! HELL!" Calhoun roared "This isn't an argument over who's more important or whatever! We gotta-!"

" _Hello?"_

A crackle on the communicator rang through, Calhoun rapidly pressing buttons on the screen "Honey?!"

" _TAMMY!"_ Felix cried out, his voice buzzing with static _"Can ya hear me?!"_

"As good as we can!" the Marine said, looking at the ground "We're just over ya! We might be able ta dig ya out if we get tha right tools!"

" _Don't!"_

"Don't!" blinked the woman "Why not? We could-!"

" _Honey, trust me!"_ the man said from the other end _"We've hit-!"_

"Felix, what's goin' on?"

* * *

"We've hit….tha honey pot given our location…."

Felix looked around, stunned by his surroundings. The ceiling were filled with jagged chunks of glowing sugar rocks, their light giving way to an entire bounty of cars, engines, and other parts.

"Oh my gobs…."

All with the Malarkey name upon them.

"What…what IS this place?" Vanellope said as she oved closer to Felix, taking a hold of his arm in worry.

"Ya mean ya don't know what this is?"

"No!" the girl shouted back, shaking her head "I've never seen this place! I don't even know what all'a this junk is! I just-!"

"Manufactured with tha highest premium black licorice seats…."

The two heroes looked forward, Swizzle standing with his back towards them.

"Tha best engines manufactured in tha world."

"S-Swizz."

"High performance, tha cars that you'd think that only tha upper crust of tha UPPER CRUST could afford-!"

"Swizzle, what's-?"

"An' we made 'em…."

There was an odd silence between the trio, Swizzle looking around at the collection of junk and pieces.

"What do ya mean kid?"

Swizz glanced at the other two, his presence made greater given it seemed as if he were the only one who knew exactly what was going on. Vanellope could see it in his eyes, in the way he stood, that something had come back.

 _ **GLITCH!**_

"AH!"

 _ **GLITCH!**_

"Kid!"

Felix rushed over to the boy, his own body starting to glitch over.

"Oh no, oh no-!"

"M-MALARKEY!" the boy cried out, pressing his hands against his temples as such great waves of energy went through him "M-Motors! C-Cars! The-the BEST!"

"Oh no, please don't tell me he's crashin'!" Felix said, taking Swizz into his arms "Come back online, please!"

"Th-tha king-!"

"What about tha KING?"

Vanellope inched back towards the wall, her body pressed so hard she WISHED she could escape but to her misfortune yet another view of the unlocking process had begun, this one even more terrifying that Snowanna's. Swizzle continued to glitch and crackle, Felix afraid that the boy would come apart in pieces as he held him but something else was about to happen, something else that would only add to the mystery of the game.

The fender that Swizz had held onto began to spin on the floor, the metal scrapping loudly before it flew off the ground and sailed towards one of the corners of the 'walls'.

"What's goin' on?!"

There was a loud BANG, a flash of light filling the entire room and making the bodies of the two heroes tingle and as they looked up, the fender was placed neatly upon what seemed to be some sort of mantle. Swizzle stopped glitching but he looked exhausted, sweat beading on his skin as he looked over.

"M-Mama?"

Another loud bang filled the room as the room began to glow, lines running from every corner and running along the items that filled it. Felix, Swizzle stull in his arms, jumped up and ran towards Vanellope, pushing her away.

"Move, move!" he cried "Who knows what's gonna-!"

The room began to hum, light filling it and before either knew what was going on-

Tools, tires, car beds, and other things. The more Felix looked around, he realized-

"Oh my, land! This is a WORKSHOP!"

The entire area quaked, the three falling on the ground as they felt as if they were being lifted up, Vanellope looking towards a darkened space of the room only to discover that what she was looking at was in fact a WINDOW, the earth shifting as it appeared they were going up.

"Hold on everyone!" the girl called "This is gonna-!"

Llllll

"What is that?!" Calhoun shouted as she felt her feet tremble beneath her. Everyone around, from racer to candy citizen, cried out in surprise as the entire game quaked. Ralph looked down at his feet, seeing the earth split between his toes.

"Oo, geeze!" he cried, grabbing everyone and JUMPING away and just in the nick of time as well as the very moment he hit the ground-

 _ **KA-BOOM!**_

Now that was something EVERYONE felt!

* * *

"AUGHR! THA GROUND IS GONNA SWALLOW US UP!"

Not too far away, a peeved snake and his crew were hanging on for dear life in the middle of the candy-cane forest. Snake may have attempted refuge from his latest attack on the other racers but as he was still in the game he still felt the wrath of the entire area turning over and resetting.

"Hang OOOOOON!" he cried, slithering up a tree with his crew latching onto his tail.

"What's goin' on, Snake?" asked the Rat, trying to see through the branches into the main village, only seeing a massive cloud of dust billowing about. Snake hissed angrily as he grasped harder onto the branch of the tree.

"I KNEW thossse cavitiesssss were up to no good! I kn-!"

 _ **DON DON DON!**_

Wait, had Snake climbed up a DOUBLE-STRIPE?

Before he knew what to do next, Snake felt himself tumbling down, the others sailing down with him…with the exception of one quick footed rat.

"HO!" the rat called out, landing a few inches away from a gum-berry bush "Ya okay, guys?"

The others cried out, now caught at the mercy of the sticky gums and leaves.

"RRRRRGH! What until I get my hands on thossse _**BRATSSSS!**_ "

* * *

The entire foundation of the very ground was turned over and broken, fixtures, signs and most importantly BUILDINGS sprouting from the earth as if they were flowers. The group looked in away as the establishment seemed to grow and grow, glitching and sparking as the entire landscape around it shifted and transformed. Any wear that was brought upon it was fixed but not with the help of any golden hammer.

If anything, the game itself was repairing the damage, replacing what was once a blank lot into something that SHOULD have been.

Finally the rumbling stopped, Ralph and the others still looking on with eyes as wide as dinner plates and mouths agape. The door to the building opened, Felix flying out.

"HOOOOOOOOOY!" he cried, breathing out and looking just to make sure he was stull alive and still in the same game "THAT-! What was a RUSH!"

"Swizzle!" Taffyta shouted as she rolled from Ralph's hold and dashed over "What-?! Where-?!"

Swizzle held out a hand to the girl in pink, his outward appearance looking calm but it was somewhat telling that he was still shaken on the inside. Slowly but surly people began to gather around, looking at this new oddity that had literally sprung up from beneath them. Ralph looked around, seeing more and more evidence to it being connected to the lollipop boy but he still wanted one question answered; HOW?

Vanellope gazed up at the large establishment, the large building peering down upon her like a monolith, the candy decorations shining in the sun.

"Is this-?"

"WOOOOOOOW!"

The girl squeaked, turning to see Candlehead beaming up with sparkling eyes.

"Swizzle? Is this-?!"

They awaited for the boy to finish the sentence, all already aware of what the place was but he remained calm, he remained still.

"Swizzle, say somethin'." Taffyta said as she approached the boy, putting a hand on his shoulder "Swizz, are ya there?"

Again, there was a coldness coming of the boy, his head lowered slightly as he walked towards the door, opening it up and going in. There was a moment of hesitation but the others followed, if so timidly and once they stepped in…

Vanellope felt the breath being taken from her, eyes nearly popping out.

Swizzle's garage.

Swizzle's lab.

Swizzle's HOME.

"Gracious…." Felix said to himself as he looked about, taken away by just how detailed and elaborate the place was "How…how long was this buried? How long did Turbo keep-?"

"Anythin' ta keep us from knowin'….."

Everyone turned, the boy of the hour standing in front of the mantle in which the fender was now hanging over.

"How powerful could a King be if we knew about ourselves?" the boy said "He knew if we could recall our families, that if we knew of our history, he couldn't control us."

Lumi gulped, knowing best to keep his mouth shut this time. After what had happened between he and Snowanna the previous day, upsetting SWIZZLE was the last thing on his plans. There was an oddity about the moment however, just how CALM Swizzle was compared to the others and how still he was. Was he even aware of what had happened, did he have any recollection of where he was?

"Malarkey Motors?" Calhoun said, breaking the tension "Is…is that what your folks did?"

Felix and Ralph reacted as if pins had been stuck in their bottom, not expecting the Marine to simply question the boy in such a manner but Swizz looked at her, giving her a polite nod. Unlike the others, Calhoun took her shock at the revelation to her own hands, a smile curling on her lips.

"Malarkey Motors?"

All looked towards the tall woman, rubbing her chin.

"Gots a nice ring to it."

"PRESSSIDENT!"

The sweetness of the moment was broken by the crackling call of another at the door, those inside whirling around to see Snake glaring at them, scales stuck with leaves and broken twigs.

"Snake!" Felix gasped, quickly running over to the reptile to block him from crossing path with the racers "I-! Um, are ya hurt? I could help ya with some of those-!"

"YOU!" Snake hissed, pointing his claws towards Swizzle "THISSS isss YOUR fault!"

"Hold on there a sec, sir." Calhoun said, stepping before the Baddie "I can tell you've got your hopes on tearin' some things up but could ya PLEASE step back. We still got some things ta figure out."

"I already figured one THING out…." Snake huffed in anger "And that'sss what I'm going to do to thisss CAVITY for causssing this!"

"What did Swizz do?!" Taffyta shouted "YOU'RE tha one who destroyed his old garage!"

"And I had every right to, Muttonflub!" Snake shouted, trying to make a grab for the girl but she easily dodged his moves "He wassss making CHEATING DEVICES FOR-!"

"Cheatin' devices, cheatin' devices." Taffyta mocked, rolling her eyes and making her hands flap in the manner of the snake's mouth "That's all ya gots rollin' round in that snakey brain of yours. Swizz WASN'T makin' cheatin' devices."

"YESSS HE WAAAAAAASSS!" Snake roared, barreling his way through and gunning for Swizzle once more, the boy crying out as he quickly ducked for something hidden under a blanket.

"What is that?!"

"None of your business!" the boy shouted, finally finding the courage to stand up against the larger character.

"What wasssss that?"

"I said-" the candy racer repeated "NONE of your BUSINESS, Snake-Breath."

The Snakey baddie launched at the racer again, taking him by the collar and lifting him up "I knew it!"

"Put him down!" shouted Candlehead, the other racers joining her "Put him down now!"

Snake took ahold of the item, the piece of fabric still covering it "I bet thisss isss part of your big plan, huh?! Carrying out what Turbo couldn't finissssh?!"

"Don't touch it!" Swizz fought and kicked "It'ssss not-!"

"YOU LITTLE USSSSLESSSSS BRATSSSSS!" Snake roared "CAN'T SSSSSTAND THAT VANELLOPE AND I ARE BETTER THAN YOU! YOU'RE JUSSSST GOING TO- AUUURGH!"

Before Snake knew it, he had been grabbed by Calhoun, the woman's strong grip pulling his arm away from Swizzle and nearly bending it back. She glared at him, steely eyes sharp enough to go through his tough scales. Even with the others around him, Snake felt a terrifying presence around him, Calhoun's power proving to be greater than his own in that moment.

"Look, this isn't the time."

Snake's eyes narrowed once the shock hard worn off, pulling his arm away from the clutches of the large woman.

"TAMERA." Felix cried as he pulled his wife away "That will be quite enough, thank ya."

"Yes, Sargent." The snake hissed, trying his best to mask the pain the woman was putting him through "I know it'ssss in your CODE to be hot-headed but it might be ssssmart ta keep it off sssschedule, don't you think so Ralphie?"

Snake waited for the Wrecker to reply, expecting for his fellow baddie to back him up but to his surprise…

"Ralph?"

Ralph said nothing, his expression speaking volumes for him. The scowl, the way his brows pressed together.

Too much Snake, you said far too much.

For the first time in a long time Snake felt OUTNUMBERED, the racers, the Heroes, and a few of the candy citizens circled around him in the garage and without an ammo of his own to defend himself.

 **EMPTY.**

He frowned, crossing his arms against his chest "I get it."

He turned his eyes back on Swizzle, Calhoun holding his shoulders.

"Sssso I'm to guessss thissss _**HOVEL**_ is yourssss?" Snake said, making it sarcasm clear to the racer "And I'm alssso to expect that it just popped from the ground? Right?"

"Snake, let's go." Ralph sighed "It's been a hectic day for all'a us."

"Fine, if you think sssso, Wreck-It." The Snake said, the falseness of his voice just oozing "Perhapsss I have let thingsss get a little too carried away here. And I am sssssorry for that."

Taffyta didn't believe the snake.

Candlehead didn't trust the snake.

Not Lumi, not Felix, not Calhoun….

But what about Ralph? What about Vanellope?

The two looked at their 'comrade', the gaze they received throwing them through hoops, the creature's motivation so unclear yet they felt the need to remain by his side, what with whatever 'connections' they had with each other.

"Hope the fall wasssn't too painful." Snake hissed, a jeering tone in his voice "But hopefully the PRESSSIDENT will have those taken care of. Wouldn't want any of her fellow racersss to get hurt."

"Um, yeah!" Vanellope nodded, watching Snake leave "I'll….I'll take care of it. _L-Like any good President would._ "

The Snake left, Felix quickly shutting the door behind him.

"My _**LAND!**_ "

"Creep." Calhoun spat, resisting the urge to send a PARTICULAR hand signal up.

"Don't drag this any further, Calhoun." Ralph moaned, still unsure what to think or how to feel of the situation "We're lucky enough we got 'im outta here before he did any MORE danage."

"How can ya say that ta ME!? Ya saw that way he LAUNCHED at tha kid!" the Marine shouted "At this point, it no longer matters what tha kids DID! We can't allow this ta keep goin' now!"

"I'll take care of it."

"Will ya, Ralph? Will ya?"

" _ **YES**_ , yes I _**WILL**_!" the big man shouted, making the entire building shake "I mean-! Geeze, Sarge! I know-!"

Ralph had to take a few breaths, letting his mind settle. He couldn't let Calhoun go in on this one as he knew full well that Snake would not come out unscathed and if things were to escalate any further.

"He'll listen to me." The Wrecker said, marching over to Calhoun and standing over her "I know you're ready ta whomp him but this is somethin' that needs ta be left ta _**ME**_ , okay?"

Again Calhoun crossed her arms, not sharing the same confidence as the Wrecker.

"Sure, Ralph. SURE." She said in a heavy tone "But if he tries somethin' else with ANYONE, no matter WHAT game they're from-!"

"I get it!" Ralph replied, not wanting to feel any worse "Just-! Let's just make sure Vanellope an' everyone else is okay!"

"Swizz?"

Vanellope approached the boy, noticing him inspecting the item that was hidden under the cloth. The others joined the vanilla racer, curiosity piqued to what the boy could be hiding.

"When ya take away tha memories of someone…." Swizz said "Ya take away all they have."

Swizz' voice was so chilling to Vanellope, the girl glitching in nervousness.

"Lumi?"

The gummie boy jolted, his hair standing on end "Y-Yeah?"

"Do ya remember 'em?"

"Wh-who?"

"YOUR folks?" the boy said. Lumi didn't answer, perhaps because he was ashamed to do so. The adults looked at each other, still lost at what was going on.

"Swizz, did it all come back?" Vanellope asked "J-Just like Snowanna?"

"Just like Snowanna?" Ralph asked "Ya mean, this is what-?"

"I wonder what he would have said if he saw this…" the boy said, his hand resting on the item under the cloth "If he had known what it was, what it meant to me. What would have said?"

"Who? Snake?" asked Calhoun "Oh, ya don't hafta be scared of him, kid! I'll-!"

"I'm not scared of him…." The lollipop boy continued "I'm not scared of him anymore."

"Then what's tha deal, Swizz?" asked Taffyta, growing more and more worried.

"There was a time when Mama used ta be scared. When these was a time she nearly let her fear of someone she had lost nearly stop her." The boy said, a surprising amount of confidence in his voice "But ya guys know something?"

The others shook their heads, all waiting on baited breath for Swizz' words.

"There was a moment when she realized she couldn't hold me back. That she couldn't hold herself back. Because we both knew, we had to do it for HIM."

In a flash, Swizz pulled the cloth off of the hidden object only to reveal…

"Oh my HEAVENS!"

A memorial.

Marido

Padre

Amado

Salvador Malarkey

The etched mustachioed figure smiled down upon the boy, the other silence in its presence.

"Is….is that your dad?"

Swizzle looked up, Candlehead walking slowly towards him. She looked retrained, hands clutched together towards her chest, eyes big and filled with a mixture of curiosity and fear.

"Candlehead!" gasped Vanellope, rushing up behind the girl "Wait! Don't-! Don't touch that!"

"Why can't I?" the girl asked. Vanellope knew she meant no harm in her curiosity nor her question and if anything, the one acting out of place was her.

"C-Butt, trust me!" the girl fumbled, trying her best to glitch Candlehead away from the marker "This-! This is somethin' that Swizz doesn't need us gettin' inta!"

"But-!"

"Don't ya remember?!" Vanellope shouted, much to the surprise of all around her "Don't ask, okay!"

"Kid, what's wrong?" asked Ralph "Why are ya-?"

"It's not right ta ask!" the vanilla racer shouted again, scaring Candlehead as both began to glitch in her grasp.

"Hey, stop that Von Schweetz!" Taffyta growled, jumping between the two girls and forcing Vanellope the other way "Candlehead just wanted ta see what it was! Why are ya pushin' her aw-!"

" _ **BECAUSE SWIZZLE'S DAD IS DEAD!"**_

That final word, that heavy poignant worried rang around the entire garage, gazes set upon the figure who said them aloud. Vanellope stood in the middle of the garage, her hands clasped against her mouth and skin going pale; she had said too much, letting out the private and sensitive details on the lollipop racer.

The adults on the other hand turned and looked, Swizz not moving an inch away from the memorial. The realization of what the creation now meant sank further and further into Ralph's conscious, his stomach turning in knots as he was thanking every programmer that he and Vanellope had ushered Snake out of the establishment as they had.

If he knew…

If only Snake had known.

He would have destroyed it.

Vanellope knew it, Ralph knew it; he would have destroyed it. Snake held nothing back on his vandalism on Snowanna's home so what was to stop him on trashing Swizzle's? There was an odd tightness in Ralph's chest, his throat hurting as he tried to convince himself otherwise, forcing his mind not to all itself to see a fellow bad guy in such a bitter light but he looked upon the memorial again, the one called Salvador appearing to set his gaze upon HIM this time.

 _What would you have done, Hero?_

 _Would you have let that friend of yours hit my son?_

 _Would you have let him destroy this? Destroy it in front of him?_

 _And for what? To make Vanellope feel good?_

 _Tell me, HERO._

 _What would you have done?_

"Ralph?"

"HMM?" the big man gasped, looking down to see his friends eying him in worry "AH-! I'm-! I'm fine, I'm ok-!"

"Heh…"

Everyone looked, Swizz' head lowered but a smile on his face nonetheless. Lumi looked at the others, making the first cautious steps towards the boy.

"I…."

"You knew, didn't ya?"

The mysterious boy in green gulped, his body arching down as he nodded his head. Vanellope took a glance at the girls and from the way they stood, the way they held their bodies she knew this was yet another memory that had come crashing down upon them. For Taffyta, it was one thing to find the parents but to learn that one of them was gone, that one of them had passed on?

It could mean the stories held by the racers may not have been as sweet as she had dreamed.

"Yeah, this is my pop."

The group looked up, surprised to see Swizz appearing so jubilant and care-free, despite the otherwise depression return of his story. Candlehead was still processing the concept of a parent who was no longer with their family, the idea that for so long Swizz did not have a father. Such things always made her heart flutter in sadness and her eyes tear up but she kept herself about, if only not to break down in front of Swizzle.

"Ain't this thing a beaut?"

"Huh?"

"Hey, Lumi!"

"A-A-huh?"

"'Member seein' this thing around?" Swizzle chuckled the others still surprised by his reaction.

"Y-Yeah." The other boy replied, shaking his head "We…when my family would come over ta get our things fixed, y-your mum would-!"

"Go on an' on 'bout how pop wouldn't spare a moment getting' things right! Wouldn't turn anyone down who needed help!" the lollipop said, his voice filled with pride. He struck a pose, hands to his side and head up "Salvador was always a racer at heart but he just could not leave this dorky lil kingdom!"

Vanellope felt her cheeks burn, the color quickly returning to her though her face went MUCH redder than she had wanted. Swizzle was now caught in a fit of laughter.

"Swizz?" Vanellope asked, finally walking over to the boy and putting her hands upon his shoulders "Why…why are ya so HAPPY 'bout this? I mean-?"

Swizz was just GLEAMING, not a tear nor sign of sadness about him.

"Why should I be sad?" the boy said, laughing again "This place is just as I remember it!"


	16. Chapter Fifteen-The Meeting

Chapter Fifteen: The Meeting

The weather outside Litwak's had taken a moody turn once day had broken, the peaceful blue skies having been replaced with murky clouds which once split had drove the rush-hour crowds to retreat to their homes.

Rush hour; depending on who you asked, most games loved the avalanche of players while others despised it and according to word he heard alone the lines, Sugar Rush was a prime spot for the Rush Hour crowds, the kids lining up to test their skills with whatever racer they choose.

Or as people like Snake often said 'To see Vanellope's superiority over those useless PLACEHOLDERS.'

A small boy groaned as the heavy rain echoed throughout the land from the outside, even if Sugar Rush were sunny and dry in return.

"He just HAD ta slither in!" the boy spat to himself, sitting on a rock near the glistening soda lake.

Once more Lumi Pastilli had taken refuge at the lake, wanting nothing more than to avoid the crowd at the track and given how busy his mind was, he had good reason to. A second racer home had popped up and while he had been before adamant about their existence, something he knew many others still challenged, it's sudden appearance came even as a shock to him.

It had to do with the puzzles, of course it did! There was no way Lumi could have expected someone like Turbo to rush in and change so much while he 'slept' so his task was made even more difficult with the thought of each home being locked away behind some trap. Granted, if Snowanna and Swizzle were able to open them maybe things wouldn't be as hard as he thought.

Maybe.

Hopefully.

 _If only._

Even if two homes had popped up, it wasn't doing anything to change the minds of the other arcade residence, especially in the likes of a certain Wrecker that hung around the so-called President.

Lumi's brows furrowed at the thought of Ralph, more importantly what he had said to him and the others while they were attempting to rescue Swizz. The boy was told by Taffyta of the big man's distrust of the racers but he never thought it would go so far, that Ralph would blame them for Vanellope going into the hole when she had made the choice to go into it herself to rescue the fallen racer.

Hearing that alone made it official to Lumi; Ralph was a BAD guy. Hiss only thoughts were one-hundred percent dedicated to Vanellope in such a way that he would show no mercy nor understand to the other racers, even if their actions meant no harm to the girl.

"He's a bad one…" the boy growled to himself, nodding "A BIG, SMELLY bad one! Makes me wish our folks were here! Dad-! No, Mr. Hanabi! NO! MISS MUTTONFUDGE!"

The boy gripped the rod as the thought back to the many faces that he seemed to be the only one to recall and suddenly he felt sad again.

"Dad…."

He wanted his dad, he wanted his mom, he wanted his family.

Homes may have popped up but where were the parents?

Gloom washed over the boy, a depressing thought of no parents hitting him again but he gave himself a mental slap.

This was no time to be rotten! This was a time to think, to plan the next adventure!

"Just hope Snake doesn't get in tha way this time…"

A pointless wish if there ever were one.

"Ugh, Stupid-! Rotten-!…" Lumi paused for a minute, thinking of the most poignant term to describe a certain out-of-gamer. He shuffled down, feeling as mucky as the mire left in his usual fishing spot.

"Snake-face…."

It just didn't have the tartness he was looking for.

The rod pulled forward, they boy moving quickly to yank back but he could feel something slide from him, his landing rod slipping from his grip as the candy fish got away.

"With C-butt an' Taffyta busy, at least I can still do somethin'…" he sighed, readjusting the rod "Hopefully, Princess Smellenlope won't muck up this lake like she did ta tha one near me…"

He took note that the lakes near the castle appeared a lot cleaner then the docks of where his home was supposed to be, the bubbles dancing on the sparkling surface and filling the entire area with a sweet almost hypnotic scent. If only it had managed to lift Lumi into a better mood as it only made him even more grumpy.

"Of course Widdle Miss Princess would make sure tha lakes 'round her house are good." He snorted "Only tha best for those who matter, right?"

The hours ticked by and before the boy knew it the final bell rang, signaling the closure of the arcade.

"Well, some day this has been…" he puffed, not a fish in his basket which could not have served as a better reflection of how he felt inside "I better pack up. Kinda wish I could have brought somethin' home for tha girls when they-!"

"-Sssoo I left the cavity in the HOLE where he belonged! But Vanellope ssstill went back to help him!"

Lumi felt his skin prickle as a familiar hiss echoed through the air. He gasped and jumped, dropping his rod near the ground as he hid behind a well-placed bush.

" _No-!"_

Just as the boy had feared, Snake Oil was moseying his way near the lake, a few of his "trusted" fellow baddies following with him. To his luck, Snake was far too busy regaling the incident with Swizzle to even notice the cowering boy in the bush. Lumi carefully and slowly parted the leaves away, seeing two of lesser baddies snickering at the tale, the one in the middle surprisingly hushed to it all.

"Ooh, sounds like he made a HOLE IN ONE!" snorted one of the baddies, the fellow by the name of Baston. Felia, the female of the bunch echoed his sentiments, purring in content.

"Maybe WE should have come along for the fun. It'll make up for losin' Muttonsludge's car!"

Lumi felt his cheeks burning as the catty baddie even mentioned the strawberry race " _Musta been somethin' that happened before I came 'round…"_

"In the hole?"

The group stopped, all looking down on the stocky rat including Lumi from his hide-away spot.

"But… Don't ya think maybe you were goin' a little too far?"

Lumi was having too much of a time hearing, tackling the weight of his gear along with himself in the leaves.

" _Whaddiya say, Rat-Fink?"_

"TOO FAR!" Snake Oil paused as he let out a scaly hoarse chuckle "Ahahahaaa! Are you telling me I sssshould have HELPED the little cavity? After what he had DONE to Vanellope?"

Baston and Felia joined in the laughter of their leader, the Rat holding his head down.

"Wish I cudda been there to hear his BONES crunch!" said Baston.

"Hear him cryin' ta his mommy! If he HAD ONE!" tittered Felia.

NOW Lumi was very upset, the boy giving the group such a hateful scowl one would have been surprised if they had not burst into flames on that very spot.

" _But we DO have parents, ya jerks! Swizzle does an' if she knew-!"_

Snake Oil only smirked at response, his coils tightening more at the thought of getting his tail around a racer, it was a delightful one at that.

"Never mind." The serpent turned away, slithering down the path "What hassss been done issss done and bessssidesss…"

"Yeah?" asked Rat, his whiskers twitching again. His leader turned, his grin only growing.

"Ssssince the resssst of your missssed out on the fun yesssterday, why don't we give oursssselvessss a treat?"

Lumi knew nothing good was to come and he was having a harder and harder time keeping still. Snake had already done enough damage as it was and in his mind, it felt as if he were the only one who was brave enough to confront him.

Baston and Felia awaited the orders of the snakey leader, eyes big and bright like pets longing for treats from their master.

"I have an sssurprise waiting for thossse vomit twinsss…." Snake cackled "I jussst need the perfect lure."

Baston and Felia whooped in joy, the very thought of going after Jubileena and Citrusella much too delightful to miss.

" _Oh no! He's gunnin' for Juju an' Cissy!"_ Lumi whispered to himself, still trying to conceal himself behind the tree, _"I gotta get outta here! Warn 'em before-!"_

 _ ***SNAP!***_

" _Ah crud._ "

The sound of a twig breaking beneath his foot immediately caused the serpent to spin around, his eyes shooting outwards in grating anger at seeing the boy in green stumbling out of his hiding place. Eyes of a Bad Guy and a Racer met, Lumi seeing the venom boiling beneath a cover of scales.

" _ **YOU**_ **!"** The serpent bellowed out, launching himself directly at the boy before he even had the time to react.

" _ **AAAAAAAAAAAAH!"**_

"And what do we have here?" Snake growled, hoisting Lumi by the back of his collar "The virussss issss out again, I ssssee."

Lumi swung his arm in a fruitless effort, hearing the others around Snake giggle at his feeble attempts "S-Stupid bag'a scales! I'm not a VIRUS! _**I'M NOT-!"**_

"Ssssave is VIRUSSS!" Snake snapped again, giving Lumi a shake before tossing him on the ground "I have all rightssss to tell the Pressssident what you've been doin' back here!"

Lumi wiped his dust cheek "A-An' what would that be? 'Nother LIE? You're good n' plenty for that since ya ain't go no proof ta anythin'!"

"Shut up, Virus!" shouted Baston as he gave the boy a hard push.

"YEAH!" laughed Felia hitting him in the side "It's none of your business what we do! So keep out or-!"

"Keep out?!" Lumi choked, the three surrounding him "Ya won't leave _**US**_ alone! We're jus' tryna have our own fun an' ya keep buttin' in ta-!"

"Tormentin' The President is what you call fun huh short-stack?!" Baston laughed virulently.

" _ **WE HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHIN' TO HER!"**_ Lumi shouted at the top of his lungs, making the three laugher harder than ever _**"YOU'RE THE ONE WHO'S-!"**_

"Look, the kid is gonna cry!" purred Felia as she pointed down at Lumi.

"Waah-waah-waaah, widdle pwace-holder need a diapy!"

Lumi was completely surrounded, the mocking jeers of Vanellope's so-called 'FANS' going deeper and deeper than before. No matter what he tried to say, no mater what he tried to do he just could not escape them.

"S-Stop!" he shouted again, his throat starting to ache the more upset he became "I SAID ST-!"

"Oh, PROGRAMMERS."

Only a foot away stood the odd member out; the Rat.

He looked at his 'friends' bullying the boy, his so-called 'Leader' wasting not a single qualm to knocking the boy into the other larger characters.

Rat knew it was wrong.

Rat knew he had to do something.

But what?

"Urgh, let me go!" Lumi cried out again, tripping onto his feet which only served in making the bunch laugh more.

"Even if you were another lame placeholder-!" Snake cackled "I'd ssssure hate to ssssee you on the track! If you drive assss good assss you walk-!"

Lumi dug his hands into the grass, trying to fight back the tears that were now forming as he knew too well what would happen should the others catch him crying.

"An' what do we have _**HERE?"**_

Lumi's eyes shot open once he saw Felia reaching for his gear, her toothy grin only making him panic more as she took it into her claws without care.

" _ **GEDDOFF!**_ It's just fishin' stuff ya ruffled fleabag!" The boy cried out, Baston taking him and holding him back. He kicked and growled, Snake enjoying the boy's torment.

"Oooh, but we're ssssso CURIOUSSSS!" Snake cackled once more, the other's joining him as they threw Lumi's possessions on the ground, making the boy all the more uncomfortable.

"You're gonna break it! Stop!"

"We would NEVER do that…" teased Felia, the character bending and breaking one of Lumi's lures "Oops. Clumsy me!"

Lumi had had enough, the boy thrashing harder in Baston's arms.

"H-Hey! Ya better lay off kid or-!"

With one good KICK, Lumi managed to reach his bait bag, the thing opening up as a wave of unquestionable material flew through the air.

"What the-?!"

There was a SPLAT, there was a CRASH, followed by a wallow of screams and bellows!

"What ISSSS thisss?!" Snake hollered, only to be meet with a creepy feeling on his skin a second later "BUGSSSS?!"

"BUUUUUUUUUUUUGS!" hissed Felia, the cat shrieking as she leapt up, gummie worms and other tiny candy critters crawling on the gang of bullies "Get 'em off, get 'em off, GET 'EM OOOOOFF!"

Seeing his chance Lumi SLAMMED his foot into Baston's shin, the man crying out as he tumbled forward and landed head first into one of the fishing nets, becoming hopelessly tangled the more he fought.

"Urgh! Brat, I'm gonna-!"

The boy didn't even stay to hear the end of the sentence, his hands scooping up what equipment he could make off with and dashing down the path.

"Hey!" shouted the Rat, his feet planted in place as he watched the boy disappear into the woods "You-! You're…."

"AFTER HIM!"

The Rat turned around, Snake and the others bumbling about and covered in bugs, fishing line and the net.

"Don't jussst sssstand there! AFTER HIM!"

Lumi may have gotten a running start but that didn't mean he was any closer to escape, three hot-headed hellions on his heels and catching up.

"I-If I can make it ta tha stands!" Lumi panted to himself, pushing himself faster and faster "M-Maybe tha others will be there an'-!"

" _ **YOU'RE MINE!"**_

An unfamiliar jingle hit the boy's ears as he saw Snake stop for but a second but swing his tail around, the Baddie throwing Lumi his signature move. The Snake-Wave hit Lumi dead on his back, the child crying out as he was knocked off his feet and his gear out of his hands. He landed hard and rolled, the poles and gear dropping to the ground a few arm's length away from him.

All he could do was feel the pounding pain in his back, his ears buzzing loudly as he lay on the ground.

"And you thought you could get away from me?" Snake hissed as he slithered past the boy, making certain to whap him with the end of his tail as he passed by "When will you placccce holdersss ever learn?"

Lumi couldn't move as he watch Snake and two others inspect his poles and lures, the looks on their faces more than telling of what they thought.

"I bet he could use this against Vanellope." Said Baston.

"Try ta swing her up." Said Felia.

"I-It's just FISHIN' GEAR, chum-heads!" Lumi managed to say, dust and dirt caked on his face "That's all it is! THAT'S ALL-!"

"QUIET!" Snake roared, smacking the boy on the face "You have no placcce to talk at all! Esssspecially with THESSSSE WEAPONSSSS!"

The sting of the slap was painful but Lumi fought through it, getting on his feet as he faced the trio of baddies.

"They are not WEAPONS!" Lumi protested "THEY'RE FISHIN' POLES YA SCALE BRAINED BAD-GUYS!"

The group of baddies stopped, surprised at the choice of words from the boy.

"Y-Yeah…." The gummie boy panted, his fist trembling "N-Now ya hear me? Guess it takes bein' called what ya REALLY are ta get ya ta listen."

Snake scowled, a growl rattling in his throat.

"Sssssssay that again."

" _ **BAD GUY, BAD GUY, BAD GUUUUUUUUUUUY!"**_ Lumi shouted at the top of his lungs, hoping that the next arcade over could hear him " _ **THAT'S ALL YA ARE! STUPID, UGLY, MEAN BAD GUUUUUUUUUUUUUUYS!"**_

 _ ***SMACK!***_

Once more the boy was hit, sent even further down the dirt path as Snake and his cohorts began destroying every bit of equipment he had.

"Break it all!" Snake ordered "If that BRAT thinkssss he can get away with talking to us like that-!"

Felia and Baston did as they were told gleefully, cat and man making work of Lumi's things like bulls in a china shop.

"Noo-! STOP!" The racer cried out, tears escaping him as he reached out "I told ya before, it's just FISHIN' EQUIPMENT! I wouldn't hurt Vanellope with-!"

 _ ***SNAP!***_

Baston pushed down hard on the rod, breaking the thing in two as Lumi squealed with despair, knowing his buttons had been pushed, the Feline pulled out another item.

"No-! No-! NO-!" the racer screamed, "THEY'RE NOT USED LIKE THAT- STOP IT!"

His feet kicked against the dirt as the larger characters chuckled in delight, the both of them RELISHING the pain that the boy was going through.

"What wasss that? Sssounds like ANOTHER lame CHEATER'SSS excussse ta me!" the serpent beamed, "If ya learned that ya not WELCOME here than perhapsss we wouldn't be DOING THISSS now!"

"GUYS!"

Everyone paused, turning to see the Rat rushing by. He looked down at the mess before returning his sights towards his so-called 'leader'.

"…..What are we DOIN'?!"

At first the other three baddies looked as if they had not heard the furry creature correctly, Baston and Felia exchanging looks.

Rat moaned, putting a hand on his head "Snake, look at this."

"I am…." The creature smirked "Issssn't it great?"

"Do we HAVE ta do this?" the Rat spoke up, Lumi hearing the harshness of his tone from afar "If these are gonna cause harm we cudda taken 'em Surge! Or heck, since ya brought HER up, Vanellope wudda-!"

"That won't ssssolve ANYTHING! You ssshould know that the ONLY way of takin' care of these pesssts is to BREAK em!" the serpent tossing one of the broken poles at Lumi.

"But-!"

"Thisss is how you finish a job!" the snake beamed, the adrenaline rushing through his body as he SMASHED the pole repeatedly against one of the trees, taking joy from hearing the thing snap "And _**THISSSS! IS HOW I-! TAKE CARE OF PLACEHOLDERSSSSS!"**_

Snake-Oil roared in triumph, smashing the pole to useable fragments with every last whack he gave. Baston and Felia both cheered from the side in glee while Rat just stood in silence, stunned to what he was witnessing yet again.

Snake Oil dropped whatever remained of the extension pole with a smile of heroism, not even taking notice of the boy as he slithered on past, content in his actions with Baston and Felia in tow.

"Becaussse, as long as you and the resssst of you placccceholderssss exisssst to defy Vanellope… Then I'll GLADLY put you all in your placccce."

Snake left with the other two smirking in tow, not even looking at the sobbing child as all were content that Lumi had been dealt with.

But one did remain…

"K- Kid are ya okay-?" a rodent whispered out, only to be greeted by a pair of green eyes, watery yet steely in anger.

"Y- You're askin' me if I'm OKAY?!" The boy spat, turning away from the rodent out of spite "After what happened?!"

"I-!" stammered the rat "I didn't know they were gonna-."

Rat held his tongue as he was not the best at consoling children, let alone consoling ones that had just been broken in such a way. Lumi jumped away from the creature, his steely gaze as painful as ever.

"Suuure. Ya didn't know…" Lumi growled "Just like ya wasn't gonna break Taffyta's kart-! O- or how ya guys were just now plannin' ta hurt Jubi n' Cissy an-!"

Lumi clutched himself in agony as he got himself to his feet, the bruises from the tail ALONE were gonna sting for days.

"Maybe we should get ya ta tha infirmary!" the Rat said, hoping to ease the already tense situation "Or-! We can call Felix! He'll be able ta-!"

"Just-! Just leave me ALONE! I don't need your HELP. Nor do I WANT IT!" Lumi cried out once more as he finally took off in the opposite direction, leaving the air cold and fearful once more.

"But kid-!"

"Go back with those BAD GUYS!" Lumi spat out "I know what ya all wanna do with us! No wonder no one wants people like _**YOU**_ around!"

The rodent was left all by himself, a sense of guilt and confliction burning within him. He thought going after the racers was justified for their actions, but after actions this extreme? He was finally having his doubts.

He looked up at the sky, seeing that it looked just as dark and as gloomy as the rain-soaked skies outside the doors of the arcade.

It felt that things were only going to get worse.

The mood up at the racetrack didn't appear to be any better, the gaggle of sweet racers packing up and going their way in silence.

Once again the roster race had been a tightly packed competition, with Taffyta having scored the first place win on the podium after a surprise blast in the mountain segment but even with Snake-Oil away, others took his place in attacking.

"Why can we never catch a flippin' break from anyone?!" A white haired racer groaned, placing her newly won trophy next to her kart. Even with her win, it didn't feel real, not with the crowds going after her for every move she made.

"It…it wasn't THAT bad…." Candlehead followed after her, trying her best to smile despite the dark times "An' ya showed those guys what was what! Ya took home tha first place trophy after all!"

"Maybe…." Taffyta sighed, running her gloved fingers through her hair "I was kinda surprised I won it. My head was goin' so fast with all tha stuff they were sayin' about us."

Candlehead went quiet, a rather mature look going about her as she watched her friend stand. She wasn't stupid, as much as people readily told her, and she knew EXACTLY what the strawberry racer was going on about.

She wasn't blind to the signs that Vanellope's new 'friends' had posted up for the other racers to see; Muttonflub, Swizzle-Drizzle, Orange Dork. They were signs posted and graffitited all over the track, all over for EVERYONE to see.

As well as she tried to hide it, there was anger burning within Candlehead at the sight of her friends being bullied but what angered her more was that despite their own protest still no help came. Even when she saw her name scrawled about as 'Candledumb' or 'Candleslug' she did her best to remain calm, to keep a smile on her face.

But times were testing her to see how long she could keep things bright.

"Wonder how long it was up there…" Taffyta snorted "Can't tell me a second that Vanellope didn't see it. Ya can't."

Candlehead sighed heavily "Taffyta, don't blame her for this. Please, don't."

"I wouldn't be so quick to if she actually got off her duff an' did somethin' 'bout it!" the girl shouted, slamming a foot on the ground. She then smiled, lips curling up as she thought about her victory, the way the crowds booed at her and quickly rushed to 'comfort' Vanellope.

It had bothered her before but for some reason thinking about it now tickled her.

"Taffyta?"

"Baby Vanello-Boo can't take losin'…." Taffyta snickered to herself "Gotta have tha whole game come to her rescue before she cries an' cries an' cries!"

The girl poked her lip out as far as it would go, making her eyes big and glossy.

"Ahboobooboo! I couldn't cheat my way ta a win! Weeeeeen! It's not fair that everyone else has real talent an' I don't an' my CHEAT didn't help me this time! Weeeen! I need a bottle! Weeeeeen!"

"Taaaaaaaaaff…."

"What, ya know it's true." the girl said with a flick of the wrist, returning to her normal poster "I bet ol' Von Schneetz is up in her palace, bawling her eyes out ta Stink-Man n' tha Crew 'bout how it's OUR fault she didn't win or whatever an'-!"

" _ **UUUURGH!"**_

The girls gasped as a ghastly sound reached their ears, Taffyta nearly tripping over her trophy in the process.

" _-That big headed, beady eyed no good chum-breathed MONSTER!"_

The two were interrupted as they witnessed Lumi limping towards them, his arm held tightly in his grasp.

"LUMI!" Candlehead gasped, her candles sparking "Oh! OH! What happened ta ya?!"

The girl didn't wait for a response, instead rushing over to the boy and helping him to a chair as he sat down heavily, feeling the ease once he was off his feet.

"Ah, that feels better..."

"Lumi, where have ya been?!" Taffyta asked, fetching an ice-pack from one of the mini-fridges in the garage "Ya look like ya met-!"

"SNAKE."

The girls were no longer surprised by the name, Taffyta's mood growing even more sour.

"He was sneakin' through tha woods again, wasn't he?"

Lumi nodded, placing the ice-pack on his arm "M'surprised I didn't find any sort'a hidy-hole that he goes ta ta plan his attacks!"

"Attacks?" Candlehead asked worryingly, her flame going down "What KINDA attacks?"

"He was-! OW!"

"Lumi, not so fast…" Taffyta eased, pushing the boy back down into the chair "You're gonna fall apart at this rate."

"He was sayin' somethin' 'bout goin' after Jubi n' Cissy." The boy hissed in pain "Then I CAUGHT 'im an' his butt-wipe crew an'-!"

"I don't think ya hafta say another word…." Taffyta groaned "Ya have it all over your face."

"HE SAID MY FISHIN' RODS WERE WEAPONS!" the boy said, pushing all pain aside as he jumped on his feet "Said I would use 'em ta cheat on Vanellope an' then he broke 'em! EVERY LAST ONE!"

"Wow, I wonder why Snake always uses 'cheat devices' as an excuse?" Candlehead said, scratching her head "Why not-? Um, SNEAKIN' DEVICES or TREATIN' DEVICES or-!"

"I wasn't gonna let him get away with that…." Lumi went on, his face showing defeat "But there were too many of 'em. Some doofy-doo an' purple panther wanna-be an'-!"

"Baston n' Felia…." Taffyta said as she brushed off her skirt "Some low-rent baddies from who-knows-what game. They're the creeps that stole my kart when we found ya."

"An' lemme guess. Vanellope hasn't done a thing 'bout them either, even though you'd told her?"

Taffyta nodded her head in a yes "Ye-AAAAAAUP. Any friend'a Snake is free ta roam around an' knock us about."

Lumi gave a frustrated cry, the image of Snake's dirty grin still fresh in his mind but so was one other.

That Rat.

Lumi kept mum about him, something within him holding back the information out of fear as well as shame. Even with the way the other three had attacked him there was something about the rodent that went off against what was expected. He had actually stayed behind to see if the boy was fine, even going so far as to ask him if he were hurt and-

And he had questioned Snake.

THAT was something that had shocked everyone.

Nonetheless, Lumi didn't know if TRUST were something he could give ANY of the bad guys at Litwak's. Ralph was bad enough with how he had chosen blind favoritism towards Vanellope over the safety of ALL the citizens of Sugar Rush but with the rat, the boy wasn't sure what or even how to think. If there was one thing for certain, it was surprising to have someone OUTSIDE of the candy kingdom to lend a hand, even if it were for a short moment.

The boy looked down, returning to his seat.

"Man, I just wanna clean up…" he grumbled "I know tomorrow is gonna be 'nother headache so I just wanna get a good sleep in. At least THAT is somethin' I can enjoy or is VANELLOPE gonna say that bothers her too?"

Taffyta's eyebrows creased as she turned from the other two; it seemed like no matter what they did, at the end of the day they were ALWAYS a target for something or another, there was no escape for the racers because it was ALWAYS in the name of Vanellope for HER sake.

As much as people wanted to deny it, they were continuing a mentality that King Candy had set up, that in order to protect the kingdom someone else had to suffer on the highest orders. Even though the faux king was gone, Vanellope had now taken his place and a new group of 'brainwashed' citizens had taken the jobs, decrying that Vanellope NEEDED to have HER game as safe as possible, despite how terrible it was slowly becoming for everyone else.

The strawberry girl looked at Lumi once more, Candlehead tending to his injuries. The boy was in no condition to walk such a distance by himself to them but he had somehow managed to do so, only because he wanted to warn his new 'friends' of what Snake and the others had done.

Whatever this Lumi kid was, programmed or not, he had some pluck to him and it was something that Taffyta was quickly starting to appreciate in such wild times. And if things were only going to continue in such a way-?

"C-butt?"

"Yeah, Taffy?"

"Go an' round up tha others." The girl in pink said, sliding a lollipop in-between her lips "Tell them it's an emergency meetin' of tha minds."

Lumi could see Candlehead's eyes widening in shock, the meaning of the message apparently a BIG ONE.

"Heh, don't worry about Lum-Zee, here." Taffyta smirked, the boy feeling unease as he say the glow of her eyes in the dimness of the light "I'll patch 'im up, reaaaal good."

Thankfully for the boy Taffyta was true to her word and in no time at all Candlehead had returned, telling the girl that the others had been called and they were now awaiting them 'in the place'. Questions could not be asked from Lumi as he was quickly placed in the back of Taffyta's kart and taken far within the deepest depths of the candy forest, places that even his own memory banks could not remember.

"Golly." He said, following the two girls as they began to continue the journey on foot "G-Guess our programmers left a lotta surprises in here."

"Heh, ya have no idea." Taffyta chuckled, gracefully leaping over a high log, Candlehead and Lumi struggling to climb over it.

"I've-! Urgh, I've always wondered how Taff can do that!" Candlehead said, helping Lumi over the tall structure "She can jump so high with that spin an'-!"

The boy pretended to be surprised by Taffyta's acrobatics, feeling it was no longer his place to say TOO much TOO soon.

The trio continued the wild and winding path, the thick of the forest growing over them and serving to make Lumi's nervousness grow.

"So where tha heck are we goin?" the boy asked, hoping the girls had not heard his voice shiver "We might reach that South Sugar Rush seas as far as we've gone!"

"You'll see Lu-Lu." Responded Taffyta in a calm, much too cool for his liking, voice "Consider this a lil break from all tha hustle n' bustle from tha FRONT of the game!"

Lumi raised an eyebrow at what the girl meant "Um, Taffyta-?"

"Can I tell 'im, pleeeease?" begged Candlehead, holding clasped hands towards her friend. Taffyta smiled again, rolling her eyes as she shrugged her shoulders.

That was of course, a YES.

"We're goin' to our TREEHOUSE!" Candlehead beamed as she took ahold of Lumi's hand and pulled him further down the path.

"A-A treehouse?" the boy gasped "In tha middle of THIS swamp? Don't think'a me being a jerk for askin' but why in tha arcade would ya-?!"

"Build it WAAAAY out here?" the strawberry racer responded, her smile still going strong "Heh, even if Turbo had hijacked our game, there was one bit'a advice that goes true for anyone."

"An' that was-?"

"Sometimes, ya gotta have a spot no one can reach…" Taffyta cut in "An' back in tha day, we made such a spot."

"Was it ta keep Vanellope out?" the boy asked, looking around at the thick of things.

"It started out like that…." Candlehead said "But over tha years, we made it a place ta keep from King Candy too."

Lumi blinked in surprise, remembering how he had been told that the others followed the King's rules to a T but this was something they had done to rebel against him?

"Huh?"

"We don't know what it was. Maybe it WAS some of our memories breakin' through all'a this, even before ya came up." Taffyta said "But I had this dream on day, a dream somethin' bad was gonna happen. That King Candy, er, TURBO was gonna find out about us an' hurt us…."

"So then Taff came ta us one day an' told us all we needed ta make a place that Vanellope AN' King Candy couldn't find! Someplace we could all go ta in case somethin' bad-bad-bady happened!"

"When tha game reset once Ralph pushed Vanellope over tha finish line, I thought this place would go too since it wasn't originally put in tha game." Continued the strawberry race "But to our shock it was still here! Even some of tha stuff we had put in hadn't been replaced!"

"An' Vanellope still doesn't know?" asked the boy, watching the girls' faces go grim.

"We WERE gonna tell her…" responded the strawberry racer, her voice going sour "We WERE gonna tell tha 'President' but then her goon-squad showed up."

Lumi made a squeak as he nearly ran into a small molten licorice pit, Candlehead giving him a strong pull to safety.

"Gotcha!"

"Thanks…" the boy breathed out, giving the girl a smile "Quick on your feet, as expected from ya, Hanabi."

The girl blushed as she giggled, always a treat to see.

"C'mon, you'll feel a lot safer once we get ta tha base!" Taffyta called back, waving her hand.

"How can ya be so certain Vanellope hasn't seen this place?" Lumi asked "From what I heard, she lived in tha wilderness so-!"

"She lived near that dumb volcano." Corrected Taffyta "Don't give her THAT much credit. She didn't 'explore' as far as others like ta claim she did. She doesn't even know what's on tha NORTH side of tha map, she's that clueless."

"Then how-?"

"Lotsa cover, lotsa stuff she's scared of…" the girl chuckled herself as they stopped over a Venus-Pocky trap, the girl stopping it with a sugar paper reed in time before Lumi could step into its jaws "An' makin' certain we have PLENTY'A glitch-proof nettin' an' wire strung about."

The two saw the smirk on Taffyta's face stretching into a rather cold and scary sneer, Lumi once more seeing the blue of her eyes glow in the darkness.

"She may be able to 'control' it, but she still can't get through that stuff."

A Muttonfudge.

Never cross a Muttonfudge.

After what felt like quite the journey, Lumi spotted something illuminating through the thick brush.

"Is that-?"

"Shhhh!" called the girl in pink, putting her hand in the boy's face "Ya still gotta be hush 'bout it. Vanellope's creeps might be around!"

The boy nodded, turning back towards Candlehead once more. She gave him a nod as well, easing him if but just a bit. He could hear the sounds of other children from above, their words coming out as a mumble but from the speed of it, it sounded as if there was quite the debate going on.

"Now promise me this, Lum." Taffyta said "We gave ya enough room as it is. Food n' board with no pay, our trust in tha front…think we can trust ya with THIS?"

The bow scowled, taking ahold of Taffyta's hand tightly and giving a shake.

"I'd rather be fed ta Snake than break your trust, Muttonfudge."

Giving how many people had broken Taffyta's trust before, she was still wary on it but she gave the boy another look.

He was worth it.

The three arrived at the thick base of a massive tree, nothing above them but darkness and leaves. There was a large knothole, one oddly out of place given how it looked, and with three graceful knocks-

Knock, knock, knock!

A small window slid open.

"Name the fish." asked a tiny voice from inside, Lumi not recognizing who it was.

"Wait, what?" asked Lumi "What kinda question is th-?!"

"Salmon." Taffyta whispered, the window shutting before a door opened. Lumi was surprised, still not understanding the question even if it were based on a subject so close to him.

"So, ya say ANY fish an' ya get in?" he asked Candlehead, the girl leading him to the ladder inside the base of the massive tree. The ditsy racer giggled, leading Lumi upwards.

"Nope, nope, nope! Salmon is kinda special here. I'll explain later!"

Perhaps was not the time to go about asking questions, at least too many.

The three finally made their way up to the top, coming in just in time to see the massive argument that was going on between the candy racers.

"Wow, guess we missed out on the start of somethin'." Taffyta said to herself, flipping back her hair.

"I say we go ta WAR!" shouted Minty, the big girl SLAMMING her fist onto a table and nearly breaking it in half "If people wanna push us around like that, I say we PUSH BACK!"

A few of the racers agreed, shouting their approval.

"War is bigger than you think." Stated Nougetsia in a stately way, acting as the opposition "And besides that, think of how it's gonna look on _**US!**_ There's only about twelve of us an' Vanellope has the ENTIRE arcade behind us!"

"Those louts won't last here!" Minty said again, going off against the popsicle girl "We have in-game immunity an' if we lead 'em ta tha right place! BAM! SPLASH! They're gone!"

"GONE." Said Swizzle, pulling the girl back "Which'll mean we're gonna have a WHOLE lotta dead cabs here. Litwak will go under!"

"W-Well, Vanellope will see not ta mess with us!"

The argument picked up again, Lumi surprised at just how WILD things had become.

"Hey, hey, HEEEEEEEEEEEEY!"

Everyone turned, Taffyta standing strong and tall before the group with her hands on her hips and eyes piercing the air.

"So, is this what goes on when I'm not around?"

For a moment, the group of young racers said nothing but then Minty caught her sights on something GUMMIE before her.

"HEY!"

Lumi recoiled, the girl's voice loud and booming.

"It's that kid from tha other day!" Minty growled, getting to her feet and marching over towards the boy "Tha heck is he doin' here?!"

"Whoa, thar!" gulped Lumi "B-Before ya cave my skull in, TAFFYTA n' CANDLEHEAD invited me! _Please believe me…."_

Minty looked shocked, eyes bulging at the girl "Ya BROUGHT him here?!"

Taffyta shrugged and leaned against the wall "When there's an emergency…."

"Ya gotta bust'a few heads!" Minty finished, taking Lumi by his collar and lifting him up.

"AURGH! I WAS TOSSED ABOUT BEFORE! I DON'T NEED IT AGAIN!"

"Minty, stop it!" wailed Candlehead, shaking the girl on her shoulder "Lumi doesn't mean us any harm! He just wants ta help us!"

"If this is all 'bout that whole houses poppin' up, I'm still waitin' ta believe." Minty grunted, dropping the boy on the ground like an oily rag.

"Ah-haaaa! So everyone HAS heard!" Taffyta smiled, clapping her hands together.

"Oh, please. Like ANYONE can keep a secret here, 'specially with how many people we gots goin' through here now." Said Gloyd, kicking his feet on the table before they were pushed away by Rancis.

"What did I tell you about making his place MESSY, Orangeboar?"

"I tried ta explain it for 'em…." Swizzle said towards the group, shaking his head "But I think it's gonna take a lot more for 'em ta believe."

"Fine, then let's talk." Said Taffyta tartly "That's what we came for anyway."

After seats had been taken, and snacks passed out thanks to Candlehead, the racer sat in for their meeting with Taffyta leading the way.

"I think no one here is a stranger ta Snake n' co…" the girl began, watching the others mumble and grumble to themselves "He's been slitherin' about here ever since Blah-Nellope got her throne back. Attackin' us for no reason, bringin' his other butt-wipe buddies with him an' then hidin' behind Vanellope n' Ralph so he won't get in trouble-!"

Some nods and words of agreement echoed in the treehouse, Lumi looking on.

"But I'm sure ya also know 'bout what's been goin' on with Snowy n' Swizz. How their houses came back!"

"Yeah!" said Jubileena "How did-!"

"That even-?" continued Citrusella.

"Happen?" the twins finished together, holding one another's hands.

"Well, our GUEST has somethin' ta do with it." Taffyta smiled, pointing towards Lumi "An' I think it's 'bout time ya guys meet him proper."

The boy felt a little uncomfortable as Taffyta put him on the spot, the other racers looking at him with a variety of expressions. Some looked confused, some looked worried and some looked ANGRY. After all, this WAS the first time they were able to get a good look at him as he had spent his early days held up around Taffyta's place, only meeting a few of the racers by chance.

" _C'mon, Lumi! Don't lock up!"_ the boy thought to himself _"These are all your FRIENDS! Ya shouldn't be scared of 'em!"_

He told himself that but he was quick to remember that the memories he held so close to himself were not so fondly remembered by everyone around. Even if Snowanna and Swizzle had gotten their homes back, even if he had spent time with the popsicle siblings, it did nothing to job their memories of them.

So maybe it was his job to do it for them.

Standing up, the boy swallowed his fear and gave a gap-tooth smile towards the lot.

"H'lo there guys!" he began with a loud and proud voice, getting into his signature pose "I am Pastilli Gumbettino! Fisher boy EXTRODINAIRE but more importantly? I am a _**RACER**_!"

Candlehead may have smiled next to the boys but the others didn't share in her sentiments.

"Pasty Gummybento?" snorted Minty "Never heard'a ya."

"Well, not with how his code was handled." Said Swizzle, slowly pushing Minty away "Tha girls found him in the garbage dump so I'm guessin' Turbo must'a stored him there."

"But why?" asked Torvald in curiosity.

"Probably ta hide all he could from us." Said Taffyta "Ya know how he hid or memories so anythin' else that could bring it back? Out inta tha garbage it went!"

"Yeah, isn't it terrible?" Candlehead said with a sad tone "We find him in tha GARBAGE! An' even his home is dirtied up!"

"Home?" said Rancis "You mean that he has a home too?"

"Well….I dunno." The boy said, sitting back down as he looked at the floor "Ya know where those docks are, near tha far off place by tha sea?"

"Yeah, I know where THAT is." Said Gloyd "But that place ain' nothin' but a dump site! It's been that way since Turbo took over an' Vanellope's ain't done nothin' ta clean it up either!"

"Maybe it's SUPPOSED to be that way." Said Sakura, wrinkling her nose up at the thought of the place "It's ALWAYS smelled there, darling. For YEARS! The WORST days are during the summer when the heat comes in and brings the smell all the way to the track and-!"

"NO!" Lumi shouted "That's not tha way tha docks are supposed ta be! They were crystal clear an' shining! Better than that stupid lake near Vanellope's place!"

"Aw, naw…." Taffyta moaned, putting her face in her hand "Ya guys got him started."

Indeed they had, memories rushing back to the boy as he stood on the table and began to go into a mighty sea fare.

"Tha port was one of tha busiest places in tha kingdom, not only brinin' in new fish but new people as well!" Lumi began, imaging the sights as his memories came flooding back "So many of our parents came ta Sugar Rush on that port, boats from all over tha world bringin' 'em in!"

"O-Our parents?' meeped Sticky "Ya mean ta tell us, we had PARENTS?"

"Of COURSE we did!" the boy said "Do ya think we just popped outta tha ground!"

"From the way Snake-Oil describes it, darling….." said Sakura "We might as well."

"FORGET WHAT THAT NO-GOOD EXCUSES FOR A WORM HAS'TA SAY!" Lumi boomed, feeling as big and as powerful as a whale "If he met out parents, he'd be a PURSE right now! Slung over Miss Yokan's shoulder!"

"W-Wait, darling!" meeped Sakura "Th-that's MY last name!"

"Yup!" nodded Lumi "An' your mom? She was tha QUEEN of Fashion! Everyone, all over tha world, looked for her new designs ta be in n' sweet!"

Sakura was shocked, surprised even at the little tidbit of info she had been given "She was?"

"Yup, all'a us had some big thing ta do in Sugar Rush, even if it doesn't look like much ta everyone else here!"

Lumi turned towards Swizzle, his hand reaching out.

"Malarkey Motors! Best cars in tha world an' one of tha reasons we even race ta begin with!"

Swizz had spent some time exploring the car shop on his own but there was little to prepare him to hear such words.

"H-Hold on, are ya serious?"

"Tha anthem of Sugar Rush? Jump into your racin' karts? We wouldn't hear it if it were not for Snowanna an' her family!"

The snowcone girl ducked down a bit, her cheeks blushing "Lumi…I-I don't think-!"

"No matter what any of these jerks tell ya, no matter what Vanellope makes ya think-! Just because you're not some snooty royal doesn't mean ya have a place in this game or ya haven't made a mark!" Lumi continued, his mind going off track as he thought more and more of the past "Vanellope's got ya all thinkin' she's tha only one that matters! That without her, tha races wouldn't exist! No, she's got it BACKWARDS! Without _**US**_ she wouldn't be where she is! Without _**US**_ she wouldn't understand how AMAZIN' racin' is! Without _**US-"**_

"Come off it, LUMZEE!"

The strong yell was enough to knock Lumi off the table, the boy falling hard on his back.

" _Ooow.."_

"Ya guys goin' along with this without any sorta question?" the boy heard, the floor of the treehouse creaking at the approaching steps "Ya get on my case for prankin' ya but suddenly THIS guy shows up an' ya fall for him like ants ta chocolate bar!"

Lumi looked up, seeing the boots of Gloyd Orangeboard near him, the pumpkin racer giving him an untrustworthy glare.

"Even if Snake is a massive PUTZ, I ain't ready ta give handouts ta some guy who knows THIS much."

"Listen ta me, ORANGESNORE!" Lumi said as he shot up to his feet, ready to confront the boy "I'm not tellin' any lies!"

Gloyd said nothing, his stance doing it all for him. Lumi looked up…and up…and suddenly remembered that Gloyd held one BIG advantage over the others.

One BIG one.

"Aw, DANG IT."

"Glolyd, lay off!" Candlehead pouted as she pushed Lumi back, perhaps a bit TOO hard as he went crashing onto the floor as well "Lumi's tellin' ta truth! Ya gotta believe me!"

"Puh, this comin' from tha girl who'll fall for anythin'." the pumpkin racer yawned, turning his head away from the girl "Use that candy-brain for somethin' other than FOOD, C-Butt. We could be walkin' inta a trap here!"

"If that's so, GLOOOOYD." Said Snowanna, courage rekindling within her "How do ya explain my house comin' up again? An' Swizz' for that matter! Ya can't tell me that was a coincidence!"

"Hidden stuff can be unlock all tha time." The big boy shot back "An' if ya ask me, this kid knows a lil too much on tha matter for him ta just run into it by accident."

"C'mon, Gloyd! Don't ya think-!"

Don't think I haven't been listenin' ta tha word!" the boy continued "An' don't think I've forgot tha possibility of our boy here bein' a VIRUS!"

"A virus?!"

"How?!"

Now the group was in a fever pitch, the kids talking amongst themselves loudly.

"Hey, don't start this! DON'T START THIS!" Taffyta shouted as she struggled to maintain order.

"Oh dear, a VIRUS?!" gasped Sakura over-dramatically.

"I heard that some were spotted not too far away in another game!" said Rancis.

"What'll happen if one of them comes here?!" the berry twins said together.

"No, no, no!" mewled Candlehead, her hands on her cheeks "Please! Snake-Oil has called Lumi a VIRUS one too many times! I'm not lettin' it happen here!"

Lumi whirled around and saw the anger in Candlehead's eyes. Even if it seemed she was out-numbered by the others she was as determined as the gummie boy to prove that a virus had not infiltrated the ranks.

"EVERYONE!" hollered Taffyta "SHUT UUUUP!"

Silence befell the group as they looked towards their leader in pink, the girl adjusting her hat.

"C'mooooon, you're actin' worse than tha time we've HUMILIATED ourselves in front of Vanellope! Trust us on this, Lumi isn't a virus."

"How can we be sure of that?" Gloyd protested again "How can we be sure he hasn't put some Virus hoo-doo on ya an' you're just sayin' what he wants ya ta say?"

"Hey, Orange-Snore." Lumi grinned "If I was really that powerful, Idda already wiped tha tracks with President Butt-Farts. Don'tcha think?"

Gloyd didn't answer, using his size once again to back Lumi into a corner.

"All I know is that if someone tries messin' with me AGAIN, they're gonna have a whole lotta teeth ta pick up."

"Down, Orangeboar." Taffyta said as she pulled the boy away "You're ALMOST as bad as Minty."

"But not quite up there!" the aforementioned girl laughed, kissing a muscle on her arm.

"Listen, what's it gonna take ta get ya guys to believe me?" asked the newcomer "I…I just want tha same thing ya guys want an' that's ta have fun again."

Lumi sat down, the sadness coming over him.

"When I got here, my head just RUSHED with so many memories of tha fun we used ta have, tha adventures we went on an' I was full ready ta do it again but this time for real! No dreams or fakey memories."

"But then-?" asked Candlehead.

"But then I get ta a game an' the first thing I hear is how I'm bad because I MUSTA been programmed like a bully because that's what this King Candy guy encouraged ya ta do. But I know we're not bullies! We never were!"

"Welcome ta tha real world, Pasty." Said Gloyd "What we say doesn't matter. Only what Vanellope feels."

"But it ain't right because there's so much more!" Lumi said in anger, standing up again "I KNOW what this kingdom was like an' it's NOT nor ever was Tha Vanellope Races! Her pop? Tha King? Tha reason he even made tha races was ta get Vanellope ta stop actin' like a snot-nosed brat an' show her NOT ta treat other people like burnt bits!"

The others looked ASTOUNDED by what Lumi had just declared. From the way they heard it, Vanellope was a figure that was not as angelic and perfect as she was often cheered from, the idea of the girl being reprimanded and WRONG a concept foreign to them.

"H-How come you're tha only one who remembers all'a this?" Gloyd asked again, narrowing his eyes in suspicion "How come we-?"

"Look, I just dunno…" the smaller boy said "I guess because I was buried an' King Turbo-Furbo-Whattizface never had a chance ta put me in tha system means my mind isn't scrambled. But I'm tellin' ta truth. Lyin' ain't my thing an' it never will be."

Lumi fished through his bag and brought out the sheet of house icons and his hastily drawn map of the kingdom, pushing them into the middle of the table.

"All'a these are your FAMILY SYMBOLS! And tha map- tha map is what the kingdom is MEANT ta look like with all out places in! Swizz's and Snowy-"

The children quickly began to pour over the contents of the map and the symbols, each and every one of them TRYING to decipher it in their minds but every time they came close, another block. It was as if SOMETHING was trying to stop them from knowing something but what was it?

"Ah, no!" Gloyd spat out "This is too good ta be true! Nothin's gonna come from this but another trick! Turbo lead us all these years so who's ta say that-!"

"I think…."

Everyone stopped, a silky and refined voice filling the space. The children turned, their eyes going to one Crumbelina Di Carmello at the foot of the table.

"I believe…" she said, the only calm mind in the group "That perhaps this Gumbettino person may be onto something."

"Aaaaw, don't tell me YOU'RE fallin' for this, Crumbz."

"Ever since the game reset." Crumbellina went on, ignoring Gloyd's complaints "I have felt that there was something off within the game, something wrong. For as much as everyone celebrated the removal of Turbo and the return of Vanellope, things, to me at least, have not felt whole."

The girl got up, walking past the others.

"I have laid awake in my bed on many-a nights, unable to shake a feeling. A feeling of wrong, that we are still misplaced in our own home. Have you not felt the same, friends?"

The racers looked down at their feet, shuffling nervously.

"Well…" Snowanna began, picking up after the caramel girl "When my home returned, the moment I stepped in it all felt right! Like I KNEW this is how things were meant ta be, that tha home Turbo had programmed wasn't right! Some memories came back, all those images of King Candy in their place? Boom! Outta tha window!"

"An' it was tha same with me!" Swizzle said, excitement in his voice "It was like tha MOMENT tha area reset! BWOOOOOSH! All those thoughts of Candy an' Vanellope ownin' everythin' was gone! I remembered some things with my mom n' pop! An'-! An' I felt like I belonged here again! Like no matter what anyone would say ta me, how I'm a placeholder or whatever, I know they're wrong because I have PROOF about who I am! I'm Swizzle Malarkey, racer an' SAUVE geniuses if I can say so myself."

"Ya CAN." Minty snorted.

"An' there's more where that came from. Gloyd." Lumi said, still trying to get the pumpkin racer to believe him "I don't wanna hurt anyone. I just wanna find out places, that's all."

Gloyd was hesitant at the idea of trusting this new kid but his mind was filled with so many thoughts, so much hope as feeling the same as the others. He looked down at Lumi again, trying his best to intimidate him.

"So ya know so much." He growled "What about MY parents? What's so great 'bout 'em?"

"W-What do ya mean?"

"If ya know so much, TELL ME!" the bigger boy barked, his voice echoing off the walls "Stop actin' like this is cute! You're holdin' back things we need ta know!"

"First off, Lumi can only remember as much as what his own backstory holds!" Swizzle said, once again having to take Gloyd back "He doesn't hold the entire HISTORY of tha game in his head."

"Oh, how lucky for him!" growled Gloyd "An' even wit that, you're still gonna-!"

"I'll take ya ta your home!"

Silence filled the space, everyone turning towards Lumi who held his hands up.

"Look, I may not know everythin' 'bout your family, Gloyd but…but I can remember! I CAN remember a spot where they would always be!"

"An-An' you'll take me there?" Gloyd said, trying not to let his voice sound too weak.

"Yes, YES!" Lumi shouted again, wanting all around to hear "I'll show ya where they were an'-!"

"After tha races…." Gloyd said, taking the boy by the collar of his coat and lifting him off his feet "Meet me near Boo Town Cemetery an' Creamatorum. From there we can go on."

Lumi's only response was a nervous nod, his memories bringing back just how TOUGH Gloyd could be when he was pushed too far.

"An' if ya so much as tell one fib, if I find out you're plannin' somethin' else…."

"I'm not." Lumi assured "I'm not like those other creeps. I DON'T wanna hurt anyone."

* * *

"Well, fourth place isn't that bad…." Vanellope sighed as she put the ribbon on the wall of her massive collection "But my head's been in other places an' not where it NEEDS ta be; tha races!"

"Madam President…."

The girl turned, seeing the gloomy form of Sour Bill by her door.

"Yeah, what's goin' on this time, Billy?"

"We have a visitor." The green candy-man said "And he says he needs to see you immediately."

The girl grew worried, rushing down to the front room only to find Snake and his cohorts waiting for her.

"Snaky!" the girls said "What's wrong this-?"

"I brought to you, Presssident…." The Snake said, pride in his voice "The remainssss of what could have been a dissssasssster in the making!"

"Uh, what's that?" the girl asked "All I see are-"

Snake and the others then dumped the remains of Lumi's fishing gear at the girl's feet, Vanellope still very much confused on what the heap was.

"Guys?"

"We caught the green BRAT ssssneaking alongssss YOUR lake, possssibly planning sssssomething terrible aginssst YOU!" said Snake, trying to sound as concerned as possible "He put up a fight though, sssstruck me a few timessss but we got him!"

"Who? Ya mean that Lumi kid?"

"Exactly!" smiled Snake "He ssssaid thesssse bitssss were for fissshing but you can never trusssst thosssse PLACCCCEHOLDERSSSS! You know they're jusssst plotting away to take you down."

"They could if they were SMART enough!" laughed Baston, nudging Felia.

"Especially that Candle-dork! She's so stupid, I bet she couldn't flush her way out of a toilet!"

"Huh-duh-duh-DUUUUUUR! I'm Candle-DUMB! Look at me walk into a wall! DUUUUUR!" Baston laughed, crossing his eyes and walking into a wall to imitate the cake racer.

"Look guysssss. Guessss who I am." Snake said, shutting his eyes and aimless tripping over things "Ssssnowanna No-Eyesssss!"

The laughter only grew louder, the group continuing their impressions of the other racers right in the middle of the castle.

But Vanellope kept her mouth shut, feeling uncomfortable as she glitched.

"Um, what happened ta that other guy? The mousey one?"

"Oh, him?" Snake said, calming down "He had to return home. Ssssaid he had ssssome bussssinesssss to take care of."

"Well-! Um…I do to!" the vanilla racer said as she began pushing the others out the door "Wouldn't wanna bore ya with anythin' like that so-!"

"Are you cccccertain you don't need our help, Pressssident?" asked Snake, trying to slither his way back inside the palace "We're all happy to help you sssshould you ne-!"

"NO!" Vanellope called back, finally getting the door to shut "I'm….I'm fine. I can take care'a this myself."

Vanellope raced from the throne room back towards one of the empty studies, shutting the door behind her and sliding down on the carpet. She didn't know what to think, how to feel….

All she knew was that she felt TRAPPED.

She looked around, surrounded by twisted signs and posters.

 ** _RECOLORS GO HOME!_**

 ** _BLINDSIDE SNOWANNA!_**

 ** _NO PLACE FOR PLACEHOLDERS!_**

The signs.

They were all there….

And she was the one who had taken them down.

Vanellope walked towards the heap, looking at the messages scrawled on them sadly. There was no mystery to who had instigated such an up-rise in vandalism and it no mystery either to who had done nothing about it.

She could remember when it all began, just one or two incidents but then they began to increase slowly and slowly but as Snake had told her, it was only right to put the 'placeholders' where they belonged.

Who's side did Vanellope belong on?

Should she go back to the racers?

Or should she stay with her new friends?


	17. Chapter Sixteen- Boo Town

Chapter Sixteen- Boo Town

More deals had been made, more ideas had been traded and it seemed like the bunch of Candy Racers were charging through with their plans.

With the exception of ONE of course.

Vanellope may not have known what the others were whispering among themselves but it wasn't as if she couldn't see it. Whenever they walked past her, whenever she caught of glimpse of them she KNEW they were hiding something from her.

The only question of the matter was HOW she was going to get them to tell her.

Perhaps things would have been different earlier, the group once showing fear towards their ruler but once 'Lumi' had arrived on the scene things were gradually taking a turn that was pulling the power OUT of Vanellope's hands.

The others were distant, distracted, but most of all they seemed content in keeping the President out of their plans and conversing with each other. It brought back the painful reminders of loneliness that the girl had to suffer through for years but as she saw her 'new friends'….

"Do you want to hang out with US, President?"

"What can I do for you, President?"

"You're SO cool, President!"

She quickly came back to herself, remembering that she wasn't lonely, not when she was considered the biggest celebrity in the arcade!

But if this were the case why didn't anyone feel like they really saw her as a friend?

"Bout time ta head back ta tha tracks!" Ralph said with a smile, patting Vanellope on the head "Ya took a lotta first place spots durin' work, let's see ya sweep tha track again!"

Vanellope said nothing, the girl gripping onto her SECOND PLACE trophy she managed to nab during the final game of the day.

She could remember it, how she was caught off guard by Snowanna, the snow-cone racer looking so furious to take the first place spot from her. The way she looked at Vanellope still haunted her, the anger in her eyes that she had never seen before, even while the girl was led under the hands of King Candy.

Everyone may have been nice about it and any other day Vanellope would not have been bothered to miss the first place spot but with the way things were going on, with how the others had begun to behave?

"Kid?"

Vanellope squeaked, glitching a bit as she moved away from Ralph's hand "Y-Yeah, what?"

The big man arched a brow "Ya okay there?"

"Sure, sure! I'm FINE, Stink-breath!" the girl smiled nervously, doing a horrible job in hiding her discomfort. Ralph felt his hair raising on the back of his neck, stooping down to the girl.

"Kid?"

"W-What?"

"Ya know, anythin' that happens. Ya can tell me." The man said, brows furrowing together but the girl turned away, face puffing into a pout.

"S'nothin.'"

"Vanellope."

"I said it was nothin', Ralph!" the girl shouted, glitching wildly and dropping her trophy on the ground "Will ya just leave me alone an' stop-!"

Ralph looked bewildered at the tiny girl, seeing the angered tears starting to form in her eyes, fist trembling and feet twitching against the plush rug. The Wrecker's anger was only starting to increase, knowing that something must have happened to cause her to act in such a way.

And he already has the suspects in mind.

"Hey, guys?"

The two turned, Calhoun and Felix standing at the door.

"Is somethin' tha matter?" asked the Repairman, catching the coldness in the room. Ralph stood tall, brushing the side of his nose as he approached the two adults.

"Ya might say somethin' like that…" he growled "From tha looks of things, we may hafta step things up when it comes ta how CERTAIN people act around here."

It didn't take a second for Felix to know where Ralph was heading with his statement, the smaller man jumping in front of his friend and blocking his path to the door.

"Don't even think about it, Mister!"

"Step aside, Felix!" the big man roared "I told ya before I wasn't gonna let anyone mess with Vanellope anymore-!"

"An' I know EXACTLY who you're gonna go gunnin' to!" Felix shouted back "You're gonna go an' try ta round up tha other racers, aren't ya?"

The two stared at each other, neither of the men wanting the other to win. They both had their missions about them, both clashing with one another. All Vanellope and Calhoun could do was watch in awe, the two surprised to see the supposed friends clashing with each other in such a way.

"Hey!" Calhoun shouted, running between the two and forcing them apart "Can't we have ONE night, just ONE, where someone's not gunnin' for a throat?"

"It all depends." Grumbled Ralph "I just wanna make things better for Vanellope, keep tha game safe for her but FELIX is tha one who's tryin' ta stop me!"

"Because you're goin' in BLIND!" retorted Felix "Don't try ta hide what you're doin' Ralph because it's as plain as the nose on my face! You're gonna blame those kids again!"

Ralph twitched, Felix's choice of words showing their effects.

"We get it, Ralph. We both do…" Felix said, straightening up "Ya wanna make sure that Vanellope's happy but you're castin' your own prejudices on those kids!"

"WHAT?!" Ralph blurted in surprise "How-!? How can ya say somethin' like that!? Vanellope said-!"

The big man stopped, realizing at once that while he was dead-set on protecting Vanellope….

"Ralph…."

He hadn't given her the full explanation as to WHAT.

The adults stopped, looking at the tiny figure in the middle of the room, her body having relaxed.

"I never said it was them…." Vanellope managed to say, eyes peering at Ralph "But…."

"But?" Ralph finished for her, his own anger starting to ebb away.

The racer clutched her arms, fearing rising from the very pit of her stomach. At this point it felt like the entire arcade was surrounding her, looking at her, clamouring for her to respond but with all the faces, all the voices she could not find her own. She could not find her own voice or mind to see where she wanted to go, what she wanted to do.

Even while Turbo had clouded her mind, she had never felt so lost.

"We can't do this anymore, Ralph."

The man in red turned, seeing Felix leaning on a chair, sighing deeply as he looked down at the floor sadly.

"As much as I wanna make sure that things are peachy-keen here….I don't- No, I KNOW I can't do this."

"Do what?" asked Ralph, his throat feeling dry.

"I can't do it, Ralph. I can't round these kids up." The man in blue continued "At least, that's tha feelin' I'm getting' from everyone."

"Now hold on a second…." Ralph said, his voice coming out stern "I don't know…I don't know what vibe ya got off'a me but-!"

Once more the big man had to stop, remembering his own words during the past few days. As much as he wanted to deny it himself there had been moments in which his judgement had floundered and he found himself laying blame on so many incidents on the other racers. Even if he did bring up a moment, his own conscious would remind him just how much he had also done to make the situation worse.

But this was all for Vanellope, to make the game a better place for her.

"L-Look, I just wanna get ta tha races." Vanellope meeped, walking towards the door on shaking legs "T-today wasn't that bad anyway s-so-?"

She looked back at the others, their eyes making the entire room feel like it was closing in around her.

How she wanted things to just go back to normal, to have those moments where the games felt FUN instead of one big war over who was right and who was wrong.

How she longed for those days but as it stood, she had no clue as to how to get them back.

The little racer frowned, clutching the handle of the door.

"I can race…" she growled "An' I don't need anyone's help!"

The ride the track didn't fare any better, the four heroes watching the masses pour in from the rainbow bridge into the stadium, the masses thicker than ever.

"Well, I can say one thing." Calhoun quipped as she looked around "This place sure is gettin' a lotta traction."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean all of it is pleasant." Felix said, noticing a few rowdy outsiders already kicking totems of the other racers around, their laughter filling the air.

"You're not tha only one who sees it, honey."

The man looked up, his wife scanning the area herself.

"Ya'd think they're remember this is a KIDS' game, not FIFA cup."

" _ **VANELLOPE! VANELLOPE! VANELLOPE!"**_

The group turned towards the source of the cheering, seeing another gaggle of characters lead by Snake-Oil rushing their way.

"Here comessss the one and only champion!" the repile cheered, rousing his followers into an even bigger fenzy "VANELLOPE VON SSSSCHWEETZ!"

The crowd roared as they held of their signs of adoration towards the racer, mobbing her and pushing the adults out of the way.

"Hey, watch i-!"

"Sign this for me, please!" cried one character.

"No, me first!" said another, nearly falling into the girl's lap.

"Hey, hey, HEY!" Ralph bellowed as he plowed his way through the crush "We can have time ta sign autographs later! You're crushin' her at this point!"

"We're jusssst sssshowing our love for the BESSST racer here." Hissed Snake, his greasy smile showing forth untrustworthy fangs "Sssurly you wouldn't want her to missss out, would you?"

Ralph felt held by Snake's gaze, his eyes holding him in place. Even with the cautionary tales Felix and Calhoun had given him, his mind began to turn flips inside his head once more. He just couldn't stay too angry at Snake-Oil, especially with the creature being a fellow bad-guy. The Wrecker placed his hands to his side, shaking his head.

"Ya know this is too much. Ya know it is."

"You can never have too much fun…" the reptile chuckled to himself, placing a hand on Vanellope shoulder, the girl glitching "Bessssidessss, sssshe'ssss been denied this type of love thankssss to thossse BRATS."

Brats?

Who else?

Vanellope glitched again, Snake once again referring to the other racers by such derogatory means.

"Cool is, Snake." The girl said, forcing herself not to look the creature eye-to-eye.

"What wassss that, Presssident?"

"We're just here to race." The girl said, sitting back in the seat of her kart, still averting her eyes from the boss "I don't'…I don't wanna talk 'bout stuff like that now."

"Oh, of course not!" Snake chortled "Get their ugly facesss out of your mind. Wouldn't want to dissstract you from taking another firssst placccce, would we?"

"Sure…" the girl growled, reeving up her engine "Sure, Snake."

The crowd finally thinned out, allowing Vanellope to drive her kart into its place on the track.

"See, she's fine." Ralph said nervously as he looked over towards the other adults "Just…just fine."

Felix and Calhoun were not buying Ralph's words, not with the way things were being showcased around them. It was bad enough that Vanellope was becoming so entrapped but from what they were witnessing around them, many outsiders were becoming far too comfortable in the treatment of the other racers.

With one person in particular standing out the most.

" _ **BOOOOOOOO**_!"

Felix looked over, watching as Snake lead a crowd of jeering spectators in the stands.

" _ **NO PLACE FOR PLACEHOLDERS! NO PLACE FOR PLACEHOLDERS!"**_

The three adults moved in closer, seeing the crowd holding up banners and posters with unflattering depictions of the other racers on them, the crowd knowing ful well that the kids were able to see and hear them.

Down on the tracks below Vanellope looked at her fellow racers but they all turned their sights away from her.

"Guys-!"

They said nothing to her, the climate felt all around and it only made Vanellope's stomachache get worse. They were no longer SCARED of the jeers aimed at them but ANGRY and most of that anger was focused on VANELLOPE. She could see it, she could feel it, just by the way they held themselves towards her. They ignored their cries but they also ignored HER, wrapping the racing President together with the crowd that clearly wanted them gone.

Back in the stands Calhoun had had enough, rubbing the bridge of her nose "Okay, that's it!"

"Honey?" Felix asked as he looked over, his wife marching into the crowds.

 _ **FWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET**_!

The jeering stopped, all eyes going to the strong, and angry, Marine before them.

"Nah-uh."

"Excuse me?"

"None'a this." The woman said, pointing towards the ground "We're not havin' NONE OF THIS."

The crowd looked confused for a moment or two, waiting for Snake to instruct them on what to do next.

"Why, um, Sssarge…" the creature hissed, keeping himself steady as not to flounder before her "Issss ssssomething the matter?"

"I'll say there is." The woman replied, eying the creature as she walked further into the stands "Right now? What you're doin'? We're not gonna have any'a that."

Ralph and Felix were in awe at how coolly the woman was acting, calmly taking one of the signs from a character and bending it in half.

"These are kids. These are races for fun. Don't ya even try ta START bringin' drama in here."

"It is hardly drama, Ssssargent." Snake said, scowling as he stood before his crowd "Can't we cheer on and ssssupport-?"

"Callin' someone a PLACEHOLDER is not support, private!" the woman roared, quickly turning and pointing a finger right at the creature's eyes "Don't even try ta pretend you're that stupid! Ya knew EXACTLY what ya were doin'! Ya all did!"

The others slowly sank back from Snake, Calhoun's rage much more powerful than any orders the reptile could give them and he knew it. As much as he was able to play off Calhoun before he could easily see she was no longer going to allow him to get away with as much as he had previously done so but either way….

"Hmmmm…."

He wasn't going to let her scare him away.

"Alright, fine." The snake hissed, waving a hand towards the others "Perhapssss we did go too far but we were only-."

"Ya were only doin' this for VANELLOPE." The Marine grunted, ripping the banner out of Snake's hands as she balled it up, tossing it back towards Ralph "I've heard that excuse before, kiddo. But ya wanna know somethin'?"

"Yes, Sarge?"

"If you're that excited ta help tha kid out…" the woman said, her voice cold as steel "I'd advise ya keep those crusty scales of yours OFF of her, an' anyone else for that matter."

The reptilian baddie scowled, eyes narrowing as he started back at Calhoun but a smile appeared on his face.

"You'll have to excussse me then, Ssssarge. Being a BAD-GUY, you know that my way of doing thingssss may be a bit different than what you GOOD-GUYSSSS are usssed to."

From afar Ralph heard the comment, the discomfort he had felt before returning.

"You wouldn't want thingssss to get out on how you're hussstling us, Ssssarge." Snake said again, his voice taunting "I'd hate to think that of all people, YOU'D rekindle the animossssity between classsesss."

"Snake, back off!"

The creature looked over, Ralph coming up the stairs of the stands.

"Cool it." The big man repeated "Just…cool it."

Snake knew the battle was over but he felt some triumphant had been earned, Calhoun yanked back on her chain before she had a chance to bite.

"Okay, Ralph." Snake said, smiling oily "We're here to enjoy the racesss, right?"

"Right." Ralph said, his voice coming out gloomily "R-Right."

Snake then slithered off towards his pack, the three left alone.

"I swear ta all tha programmers…." Calhoun growled, tightening her fist "He's gonna run into it one day, an' he won't be comin' back!"

The woman felt someone brushing past her, turning around just in time to see her husband walking off.

"Babe?"

"Be right back, guys." The small man waved towards the others "I need ta check on somethin' real quick!"

With a hop and a skip Felix rushed his way to the starting line, stopping by Vanellope's kart as she readied herself for the race.

"Hey, kid?"

"Yeah, Felix?"

For a moment, the repairman was lost on what to see. He could see that Vanellope's face was slightly puffy and that she looked tired and drawn. The poor girl was seriously taking on too much for her own good and it wouldn't help should he say something out of turn.

"Just…just be careful, okay." The man sighed "I want ya ta have fun more than anything else."

The girl felt a little better hearing Felix's kind words, a weak smile appearing on her face.

"Ya know, ya didn't hafta come all tha way down here ta tell me this." The girl smirked "I just-!"

"Hey."

"Yeah?"

Felix looked around, noticing two marks out of place in the line-up.

"Rancis, Crumbelina, Snowanna…"

"Somethin' tha matter."

"Where's….where's Miss Candlehead? An' tha Orangeboar kid?"

At the very mention of the names, the racers stopped in their tracks.

CAUGHT.

Felix gave the line-up another look, peering back towards the entrance of the gate just in case the two would come in late but as the clock counted down neither racers would appear.

"Oh gosh…" the man said in worry, taking off his hat as he scratched his head "This is worrisome."

He turned around, putting his sights on Taffyta. The girl felt her hair starting to curl, the man quickly approaching her.

"Miss Muttonfudge!"

The strawberry racer blushed brightly but she quickly recovered, trying her best to look and act as stony as possible.

"Yeah, what is it?"

"Candlehead? She's your best friend…" the man began "Do ya know where she is?"

Taffyta sniffed, flicking her hair out of her eyes "C-Butt may be my best friend but what she does is her business. She can do whatever she wants."

"Now c'mon." Felix said, being a little sterner this time "Ya cannot tell me for a second that you'd just let her go off without a trace, without a clue."

Taffyta hated when someone else was right but if she were not worried, that could have only meant one other thing.

She KNEW where Candlehead was, but she sure as heck wasn't telling.

"An' Orangeboar is gone too." Felix continued "Two racers out of a roster race? This isn't nor-"

"Why would it matter ta ya, anyway?"

"Excuse me?" the man blinked, looking down at the racer. Taffyta was miffed enough but Felix could tell she was bothered as well, her eyes slowly making their way towards him.

"Look, what's it matter ta someone like ya that we're gone?" the girl asked, Felix watching as her little hands trembled on the steering wheel "We're just bullies, remember? Anythin' bad happens ta us? It's a good thing."

"Why in tha arcade would ya think-?"

"Look, we gotta race." the girl said, turning the key to her kart "An' I'm sure you're gonna be in tha stands, cheering that Vanellope wipes tha floor with us an' laughin' when we lose, right?"

The little Hero in blue was rather disturbed by what the girl was telling her, quickly reminded that despite his attempts to be sunny and bright for the rest of the kids it wasn't going to 'fix' everything.

"Ya might wanna go now." Taffyta finished "Stand around me any longer, people are gonna start gettin' mad at ya too."

Without another word Felix made his way away from the track, hearing the countdown as the racers took off. The crowd roared in excitement but as he took at a look at the collection of characters in the game.

No.

No, this wasn't right.

The way things were now going in Sugar Rush, how the citizens no longer felt comfortable in their own game, how they were being overshadowed and blocked by those who told them they did not matter.

Felix cared deeply for Vanellope, there was no way to deny it but he was not going to allow the other candy racers to suffer.

He scowled, pulling the brim of his hat down as he marched out of the gates from the track.

He had a search to attend to.

* * *

"Uuurgh, Boo Town is bad enough at night…" meeped a little voice "But it's still all creepy crawlies when there's a race goin' on too!"

"Aw, for crisps sake C-Butt! Don't chicken out on us."

Far from the starting line, three sweet racers found themselves right in the middle of the dark, cold heart of the game area known as Boo Town. Just as Lumi had promised, he had led Gloyd to the area to help find any clues as to the whereabouts of his parents but the more Lumi looked around the more he realized just how much he had bitten off.

While he was certain there were hidden treasures to be found about the others, it wasn't as if he had a clue as to EXACTLY where they were. As in the cases with Snowanna and Swizzle, many things just happened to appear by accident but given how EXCITED Lumi was as well as determined to PROVE to the others that he belonged in the game….

"Me an' my big mouth."

"Look, ya didn't hafta come with us, C-Butt." Gloyd growled, looking down at the shivering Candlehead "If ya hate this place so much, ya cudda just raced! I mean, ya WON third at the final lap today anyway so-!"

"I'M NOT SCARED!" Candlehead cried out, showing that she clearly was "I just-!"

The two boys looked at her, only serving a little comfort to the area.

"L-Lumi's still kinda new here so-! So he might not know how ta get around Boo Town like tha rest'a us!"

"Yeah, that's all too convenient for a kid who says he was programmed in tha game…" the pumpkin racer glowered, giving the green boy the stink eye. Lumi was already keen to what the boy was implying, crossing his arms against his chest.

"Look, I told ya! I ain't no virus or glitch or whatever an' I can show ya where you an' your folks used ta live!"

"Then get to it!" shouted Gloyd "We've been standin' here since tha arcade opened an' so far we've been walkin' in circles ALL DAY!"

"I-I never said it was gonna be easy!" Lumi said in defence of himself.

"But we shudda found somethin'!" Gloyd roared again, once more using his size over Lumi to push him back "A clue tha size of a pumpkin seed wudda been nice but nothin'! We ain't found JACK an' ya know what this is tellin' me?"

"W-What?" Lumi stammered, trying his best to look tough in front of the larger racer.

"If I didn't know any better, maybe that Snake guy was right 'bout ya."

Both Lumi and Candlehead felt their blood going cold at the statement, Lumi being the most upset.

"You're gonna believe _**SNAKE?!**_ That _**CREEP?!**_ "

"He may be a creep-" Gloyd continued "But ya know what? He may be onta somethin' bout viruses an' stuff creepin' inta this game. Turbo was able ta do it easy enough an-!"

"I'M NOT A VIRUS!" Lumi cried out, rushing Gloyd and shoving him back but the boy was far too solid for his strength, the gummie boy feeling like he had rushed into a wall "I'M NOT A VIRUS! I'M A RACER! I'M A RACER JUST LIKE EVERYONE HERE! WHY WON' YA BELIEVE ME?!"

"Because there's no proof that ya exist!" Gloyd shouted "An' don't ya even give me that 'Oooh, but Turbo erased Vanellope an'-!' BOOTY! When tha game reset, all'a her stuff came back but nothin' of yours?!"

"But there is proof!" Lumi cried back "My-! My picture on that hidden paper! An' C-Butt knows I came outta a code-box so-!"

Gloyd growled again, putting his hands to his temples.

"I can't believe I actually took ya up on this! I can't believe I trusted ANYONE with this!"

"Gloyd, calm down!" Candlehead said, trying her best to put some calm between the two "Lumi only wants ta help us an-! AAAAAH!"

"We're goin'." The pumpkin boy said as he took Candlehead by her hands, pulling her towards the gates of the graveyard and back towards the path towards the track "Everyone in this dumb arcade thinks we're stupid enough. I'm not gonna have someone else make fun'a us for-!"

"NO!"

"Aurgh, Candlehead!"

With a mighty pull, Candlehead set herself from Gloyd's hold, walking back towards Lumi.

"I-I dun care how creepy an' scary it is in this place. If Lumi says we can find somethin' here, I believe him!"

"But WHY?!" Gloyd roared again "Ya've done some puddin' headed stuff in tha past before, C-Butt but THIS really takes tha-!"

"Stop messin' with her!" shouted Lumi, going to the defence of the girl "If you're gonna be a pumpkin butt like that, ya can be one towards me but C-Butt's just tryin' ta be nice! Leave her outta this!"

"Don't tell me what ta do, VIRUS!"

"I'm NOT A VIRUS!" Lumi shouted back, the two boy launching into a fight. Candlehead could only watch in horror as the boy bickered and wrestled with each other, crying loudly.

"STOP! STOP!" she wailed "THIS IS WHAT THEY WANT IS TA DO! THEY WANT US TA HATE EACH OTHER SO THEY CAN-!"

" _ **EVERYONE, STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP!"**_

The graveyard went silent, not a cricket or a crow to be heard. Dizzy and winded from wrestling with Gloyd, the boy in green could do little but make out the blurry figure marching before him but as it became clearer-

"M-M-Mr. Fix-It?!"

The one and only.

"Both of you, stop this!" the adult said as he took the two boys by their collars and yanked them to their feet "For land's sake, ya guys are just as rowdy as those at tha track!"

The children said nothing, all three of them feeling some sort of embarrassment as the Hero stood before them.

"Now. Mind tellin' me what's goin' on here?" the man said, placing the boys back on the ground "I don't wanna hafta get too hard with ya three."

Gloyd stood up first, stepping before the smaller racers.

"We just wanted ta get away from tha crowds, okay." He said in such a cool manner even lumi was impressed at how quickly he recovered but Felix was just as composed, looking the boy right in his eyes.

"Really, now?" said the Repairman "Ya know there is a whole host'a people up in tha front worried 'bout ya. I mean, ya took off without tellin' anyone where ya were goin'."

"Oh, yeah right." snorted Gloyd "No one cares what happens ta us so why bother 'em with tha details?"

The response was bitter enough but it wasn't something that could send Felix away so easily. He stood up, putting a hand on Gloyd's shoulder.

"Kid, I-. WE'RE just worried okay. After everythin' that's been goin' on in this game, I'd hate ta think somethin' happened ta ya."

Felix's words were kind enough but they still were not enough to convince the children to return, Lumi most of all.

"O-Oh yeah?" the boy said "A lotta stuff's been happenin' ta us but no one cared then. Tha only thing anyone here seems ta care about is what happens with VANELLOPE."

Felix sighed again, putting a hand to his face "Alright. Alright, I get it. You guys are tired an'-"

He paused, looking down at the kids. He hated having that feeling, that feeling of so many people depending on him yet having not a clue what to do. Either way, he knew that as any good person would do he had to figure out how to help the other racers, even if meant that some higher ups in the arcade would look down on him for the path he had taken.

He had made a promise to himself after what happened to Ralph; NO ONE would be bullied, no excuses.

"Just come back, please?" the man said "What good is it hidin' like this when ya got races ta, um, RACE?"

"When ya got an entire arcade gunnin' after ya…" said Gloyd "Tellin' ya that ya can't be anythin' other than a bully over an' over again, racin' stops bein' fun."

If this were not proof enough that the kids were being dragged through the mud, Felix didn't know what else was. He could hear the sounds of the roaring engines in the distance, knowing that was where the kids SHOULD have been but as Gloyd had said no one wanted them there anymore and given the way Snake had behaved previously….

"This was just a massive waste of my time." Gloyd growled as he stepped away from the others, going towards the gate "Ya get my hopes up, make me think somethin's gonna happen an' then tha rub is pulled out from under me."

"Gloyd, I told ya…" Lumi said "I…I know your parents were in tha game an'-! I-!"

The boy looked over at Candlehead, the girl still tucked back in fear from everything that was happening. He remembered how long that she had stuck with him, following Lumi through the many hours of the search and how dirty she had gotten due to it. He then turned back towards Gloyd, the pumpkin racer wearing the same marks as the girl.

Lumi knew he couldn't disappoint, not after all the work they had both done on his word.

"I know somethin' is here…" Lumi said, his voice coming out much braver this time "That Turbo dude, or whatever his name was, just made certain ta keep things hidden an'-."

"So this is more 'bout Turbo?" Felix asked, the racers realizing they had let on much more than they should have "Kids! Why didn't ya just tell us?"

"Um, wait!" said Candlehead "This-! This isn't about Turbo! We're, um, tryin' ta-! Do a-! Turbo…speed search for pumpkins! Yeah."

"Too late, C-Butt."

Even though Felix had very little information to go on the whole story, his encounter with Swizz a few days before was more to convince him that something was indeed cooking beneath the crust of the game. Even if he had not divulged his true feelings towards Ralph, or even his own wife, the experience he had encountered could not leave his mind.

What he had gone through wasn't something that had happened in his head, no sirre. He had borne witness to the game turning gears and resetting before his eyes and if the kids were looking to repeat those actions.

"It could be dangerous…" Felix said, once more standing tall before the three "Last time ya had a lil hunt, Swizzle ended up busted n' bruised."

"An' that was Snake's fault!" Lumi shouted back "HE was tha one who-!"

"Snake isn't here though." Felix broke in, looking around the graveyard "An' if ya guys are so certain somethin' is here, it may have been better just ta tell us an' we wudda helped ya."

Lumi and Candlehead were STUNNED by what they had been told, not at all expecting one of Vanellope's closest friends to suddenly make the choice to go along with them.

"Wait, you're not mad at us?"

"If I am upset, it's only that ya just left your spots at tha track." Felix said, inspecting a gravestone "It was so up an' sudden! I told ya, it got me worried."

"We just didn't think anyone would care…." Candlehead said meekly, lowering her head.

Felix looked over at Candlehead, the defeat she was showing towards the man familiar to that of someone he held close to him.

He couldn't let this go on, not on his watch.

He puffed up his chest and looked about, going over a grave once again "Ya said there might be clues here?"

"Sir?" asked Lumi, wondering to what the Hero was doing.

"Heh, if there's one thing I like it's a good adventure. And if ya say there's somethin' here, I'm sure I can lend ya a hand."

The children were ASTONISHED, Candlehead beaming with joy once she realized that Felix was true to his word.

"Really?!"

"Wait, a sec!" Gloyd said "This-! This is 'bout MY family an' tha last thing I want is a buncha Vanellope's crew comin' in an' messin' stuff up if we find anythin'! Just look at what happened ta Snowanna's place when HER stuff came up."

"An' I promise they won't." Felix said, resting a hand on the boy's shoulder. He could tell that Gloyd had been hurt enough over the past few months that TRUST was the very last thing he was willing to spare but the Hero in blue knew he could not give up.

"Mister Orangeboar?"

"…Yes, sir?"

"I want ya ta listen ta me. I want all'a ya ta listen ta me, right here an' now."

The children stepped closer, waiting on Felix's words.

"If anyone does anythin' ta ya. If someone tries ta hurt ya, if someone tries ta hurt someone ya care for? Know that no matter what, no matter what ANYONE says, ya can come ta me."

Gloyd loosened up, the act he had put forth slowly disappearing as he looked up at the slender man. Could this be true? Could he really trust Felix? After all, the man was close to Vanellope and as everyone had showed towards the boy, anyone who was close to Vanellope was an enemy to _**HIM.**_

They always hurt HIM, went after the other racers, all for Vanellope's pleasure. How could he trust ANYONE connected to her?

But there was Felix, giving his word to the boy and as he had heard down the lines so many times, if there was one good guy anyone could trust, it was Fix-it-Felix Jr.

He smiled at the trio, extending a hand.

"C'mon." he said "It's better than being alone, I can tell ya."

Timid at first, the other two crept towards Felix but finally Candlehead extended her arm, her tiny hand laid atop Felix's.

And then Gloyd did the same.

And Lumi?

Could he trust him? Could he trust anyone in the game?

Yes.

 _You can trust him, Lumi. Trust him._

With one shaking hand, Lumi placed his atop the others, the pact made then and there.

"Now." Said Felix "What's this about a house? What do we need ta find?"

"I dunno…" Lumi said "I just remember back in tha day, I mean, back in my memories Gloyd an' his folks were always hangin' 'round here."

"Make sense." Candlehead said with a tiny smile "Gloyd likes this place an' he-!"

"Candles, don't say too much!" Gloyd barked, the girl pouting.

"But Gloyd, how can they know 'bout this place if we don't tell 'em anythin'?"

"There's stuff we can tell 'em!" squeaked the larger racer "But ya don't gotta spill tha jellybeans on EVERYTHIN'! It's EMBARRASIN'?"

"What do ya mean?" asked Felix.

Before Gloyd could utter another word Candlehead pushed him back, the girl finding her bravery.

"What I was gonna say. Gloyd always finds a way ta make this place fun."

"Urgh, Candle-Butt!"

"I know this place is spooky. It can very cooky spooky!" the girl continued "But Gloyd? He's gotta way of makin' even tha creepiest of places fun! Like one time, he hosted a party here an' he was able to find a way ta make all tha ghost dance along with tha party lights an'-!"

"Okay, we get it!" shouted Gloyd, blushing red from head to toe "How's that gonna help me find out 'bout my parents?"

"Well, if it says anythin'…." Said Felix "It shows ya have a deep connection ta this place."

"I did…" the boy said, shoving his hands into his pockets "But when Snake an' his groupies found out they said it was creepy n' gross."

There was the mention of Snake again, Felix's feelings confirmed to how much of a grasp the out-of-gamer had on the game and the people within it. Even if Snake considered himself not as powerful as Vanellope, the racer he clung to the most, he certainly flexed some power that it was causing the other racers to the love they had once had for their own home. The Hero knew he couldn't let Gloyd be overtaken by the negativity, turning over to the gummie racer.

"Ya said they lived here?"

"Lived? I guess." Lumi shrugged "They were always here but they were always movin' too."

"Movin'?"

"It was kinda like Snowanna's folks…" the boy continued as he went through his own memories "But the reason Snowy was always on tha go was because of her parents' concerts an' stuff. I just remember….I just remember…."

Even if Lumi's memories were the clearest the block came up again, the boy trying to break through the pieces in his mind.

"I just 'member a kart!"

"What kinda kart?" asked Felix, glancing over to Gloyd again and seeing that the boy had turned around, his backnow facing the others "Like one of your racin' karts?"

"No, somethin' bigger. Like…like tha kinda kart from an old fairy tale that sold a lotta old an' weird stuff." The boy continued "But tha cart had somethin' funny 'bout it. Like it was big an' loud an'-!"

"Broken?"

Felix and Lumi looked over, Candlehead rushing over to the far side of the fence.

"Somethin' broken?" Candlehead said again, stopping at the edge of a gate "Like this cart?"

The three followed the girl, stopping short once they saw the wreckage of an old horse cart before them, the thing looking as if it had been cut in half, the wood rotted and the wheel rods missing.

"This thing has always been here." Candlehead said as she pointed towards the remains "As far as I can remember!"

"This ol' thing?" Gloyd snorted "It looks like termites have been through it!"

"But it could be a clue!" said Felix, feeling a rush to investigate further as he moved down and tried to lift up the wood. It proved to be heavier than he thought but he managed to lift it up a good amount to enable the others to see under it "S-See anythin'?!"

The children quickly looked through, Candlehead using her signature candle to light the way.

"Just more cobwebs an' BUGS." Gloyd moaned, sticking out his tongue as Felix dropped the heavy piece of wood down.

"Foo. Maybe it would be better if Ralph lifted this. I can only do so much."

"Hey!"

The man looked over, noticing the smile on Lumi's face "Yeah, kid?"

"That hammer!"

"What about it?"

"Ya can fix things with it, right?" the gummie racer smiled "Why don't ya try fixin' this part! It could reveal somethin'!"

"Hmm, seems easy enough." The Repairman said as he took his hammer and twirled it in his fingers "Stand back guys, we're about to-!"

The moment Felix's hit his hammer upon the busted kart something did happen….

 _ **DA-D-D-D-DUUUN-!**_

But not what the four had hoped.

"YOW!" Felix cried back, seeing a massive spark hit between him and the kart. He took ahold of the kids and fell back, the kart glitching badly as it seemed to corrupt before their eyes.

"What's happenin'?!" Candlehead shivered, covering her eyes. After a few moments, the glitching stopped and the kart returned to its normal, albeit broken, form.

"Jimminay Jamminay…" Felix whistled, his hand still clutching his hammer as he shook "Bounce back like that? Not good."

"What's that mean? Ya can't fix it?"

Felix rubbed his chin "There's three ways this can go…Either it gets fixed, it gets STRONGER or-"

"Or?"

"Or we hit a glitch like this…" Felix said "But that only happens when somethin's REALLY corrupted or somethin's-!"

The man stopped, eyes getting wider as he looked off into the distance.

No way; there was no way in the arcade Turbo could have taken percautions like that. But he knew how evil the man was, how tightly he wanted to clutch upon Sugar Rush on his own.

Could he have put his own lock into the code, one that not even a reset of Felix's hammer could break through?

The Hero looked down at his hammer again, the tool weighing heavily and useless in the situation.

"Sir? Sir?" asked Candlehead "Are ya okay?"

"Ah!" the older character shouted, shaking his head "Y-Yeah, I'm fine sweetie! I'm fine."

"Then what should we do?" asked Lumi "If your hammer can't fix this then-?"

"I could always ask Tammy ta bring her boys in here." The man thought out loud, tapping his foot on the ground "I know she's got a Cadet who can crack her way through things but-!"

There was something to Felix's rhythm that rung in Gloyd's ear. The boy listened in, carefully picking up the hollow sounds under the man's feet. The dirt wasn't solid but hollow but he wasn't stand upon any graves.

"Wait a second."

The boy rushed over to Felix, digging away at the dirt.

"Whoa, hold on kid! What's-?"

"There's something underneath you!" the pumpkin racer shouted "I can hear it!"

"Hear WHAT exactly?" asked the Hero but before he could question anything further Gloyd had always pulled something up.

"Is that-?"

"What is it-?"

With some effort Gloyd managed to pull out a large BOARD from under the soil, the thing landing with a THUD as he let go of it.

"WHOO!"

"What is that thing?" asked Candlehead, she and the others moving closer. Gloyd wiped some of the dirt off, revealing the engraved pattern on it.

"It looks like…like some kinda door!" the boy shouted.

"But ta what?" asked Felix, helping him lift it up again. The pumpkin racer studied the panel closely, trying his best to see if anything came to him.

He placed a palm on the panel, the carefully placed engravings rubbing against his fingertips. There was something familiar about this, there was something familiar about it all but he just couldn't see it. No one could see it.

"Aurgh, c'mon!"

"Well, I can say that is sturdy." Said Felix, leaning the door on the iron gate "An' it's in better condition than tha cart."

"Do ya think it belongs in tha mansion?" Lumi said, pointing over towards the mansion upon the track.

"It can't." said Gloyd "We've raced through there countless times an' explored it too. There's not a missin' door ta be found."

"Then where could it have belonged to?" asked Felix, not noticing that Candlehead had moved closer towards it "It seems odd just to leave a door buried here and-"

"GLOYD!"

The others turned, the girl looking on with big eyes.

"Your pumpkin!"

"My what?"

"Your-! It's your PUMPKIN SYMBOL!"

Gloyd felt his heart skipping a beat at the mention of the symbol, his feet taking him towards the door where Candlehead was pointing. Indeed there was a missing space on the door, that looked like it had once been filled in with some sort of paint or other material, the chiseled form of a pumpkin set within it.

"Oh my gobs!"

"So it does belong ta ya!" Lumi said as he rejoined the others.

"Where though?!" Gloyd asked again, feeling a little worried "I mean, it doesn't fit on my cottage! It's too big ta go anywhere!"

Felix took a look at Lumi again, pulling him towards him.

"GAH!"

"Kid!"

"Y-Yes, sir?"

"Ya remember far more than all'a us. There's gotta be somethin' from this, there's gotta be!"

"I'm sorry, sir! But my memories only go as far as they do! It's all from MY point'a view, not everyone elses!"

"But ya said ya remember Gloyd's cart an' if ya visited-!"

"Then ya should know where this door goes!" finished Gloyd.

"Lumi, please remember." Candlehead pleaded, putting her hands together "We have one clue. It could lead us ta more!"

"I'll try…" the boy said "But I'm gonna need Gloyd's help. He'll have much more memories in 'im than I do."

"But…but I can't think of anythin'!" the boy shouted "All-! All I can remember is all tha stuff that Turbo put in my head an-! An' if I try ta think'a somethin' else, I-!"

Gloyd started to struggle, his head pounding as it felt like the earth was moving underneath him.

" _ **AUUURGH!"**_

"Oh, no! GLOYD!" Candlehead cried in worry, the three others moving near the boy as he fell to his knees.

Felix was at a lost on what to do, worried that tapping him with his hammer could cause great harm to him as seen with what happened to the door.

Memories and code were rushing through the boy's head, garbled pictures of the former king and Turbo appearing. It was crashing together in one big storm of images but it was giving him nothing to what he needed. He wanted to know the mystery of the door, of the cart but all he could see was Turbo, all he could see was King Candy, all he could see was his former self bullying Vanellope.

"NOT A BULLY! NOT A BULLY!" Gloyd shouted in pain, hands digging further into his hair, tears forming in his eyes "STOP IT! STOP CALLING ME A BULLY! STOP CALLIN' ME A BULLY!"

"Oh, no!" Felix said, grabbing the boy in his arms "We need ta get him ta a DOCTOR! Someone who can-!"

"S-STOP IT, VANELLOPE!

Felix looked down, Gloyd still writing in pain, eyes flickering brightly.

"NO! STOP! YOU CAN'T CALL MY PARENTS THAT, YOU BULLY!"

Candlehead and Lumi froze where they were, scared at what they were seeing. Gloyd seized up in Felix's hold but his face was twisted in anger, a finger pointing outwards towards an unseen figure.

"J-J-Just because you're PRINCESS-!" Gloyd glitched "Stop makin' fun of us! Candlehead isn't dumb! YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO PEOPLE!"

Candlehead shrank back, Lumi taking her hand. Suddenly Boo Town was becoming much more frightening but in ways she had never pictured. Gloyd seemed to be lost in his code, spouting out words that no one cound understand.

"D-D-D-Don't wanna live here anymore!" he said "W-w-w-wanna go away! Run away! Sh-she called us TRASH!"

"Is….is he talking about Vanellope?" Candlehead gulped but Lumi said not a word. He looked ashened, terrified, as if he too could recall some moments hidden from the others.

The boy clutched onto Candlehead's hand even harder, refusing to let go.

Felix could do nothing more than to lay the boy on the grass, holding his head carefully as he continued to convulsed with code.

"Please, please! Snap out of it kid! SNAP OUTTA IT!"

Felix knew there was a great danger to using his hammer at the moment but perhaps it was the only thing he could do. He couldn't let the boy suffer anymore, even if he were within the safety of his own game.

"Okay, that's it!" Felix shouted as he took his hammer "I'm stoppin' this-!"

" _ **-NOW!"**_

The man cried out as Gloyd's words came out loudly, the boy sitting up on his seat.

"Gloyd? GLOYD!" Candlehead cried as she rushed over to her friend, sobbing greatly "Tell me you're-!"

Before Candlehead could put a finger on the boy he rushed to his feet and ran off, going to the craggy old oak tree near the edge of the graveyard.

"Gloyd?"

Only second ago the boy had been disabled by what was some sort of seize of code but from the way he was climbing UP the tree it was if nothing had happened. He took to the limbs like a monkey, only stopping one he got to the top and once he did-

"PARTS."

He could see it.

"Gloyd!"

"PARTS OF THE CART!"

"Gloyd, what's happenin'?" Candlehead called up, Felix and Lumi walking up behind her "please come down and-!"

Gloyd did more than that, swinging upon the branches and landing with a twist and a flip on his feet.

"This whole place!" the boy said, panting in excitement "This whole place is one big puzzle!"

"H-Hold on, we still need to!"

"Candlehead!" the boy shouted "I need ya ta go over towards tha fountain!"

"Wait, what?" blinked the confused girl.

"Just do it!"

"Ah! OKAY!"

"Mr. Felix! There's an area near tha mausoleum! I need ya ta-!"

"Already on it." The man said as he rushed off. Lumi was the last one left, the boy trembling slightly at the way the pumpkin racer was now grinning at him.

"Ah-."

"Okay, Lum-Zee." Gloyd cackled "Ya wanted ta show me how much ya knew? That there's more ta this place?"

"Y-Yeah?"

"Then get your butt near tha bridge!"

"But why?"

"You'll see." Gloyd said, returning to the tree "Trust me, you'll see."

Without any hesitation, partly due to not wanting to edge Gloyd on any further, Lumi did was he was told. His little feet took him to the crumbling bridge, slow and cold water flowing in the tiny creek below it.

"That musta been somethin' Gloydie saw…" the boy said to himself as he looked about "Wudda helped had he told me what I was looking f-"

Lumi felt something under his feet crack, the boy peering down to see another board below him but it wasn't a heavy door as they had found previously. Going through the water, Lumi pulled up what looked to be some sort of sign.

"Orangeboar...Od-? Odds? Oddlots?"

The boy could feel his breath escape him, his heart racing. He remembered this, he remembered the sign!

"ORANGEBOARS' ODDITIES!" Lumi cried out, surprised that no one from another game could hear him "It's-! It's the shop! Their shop in tha-!"

" _Luuuu-MIIIIIII!"_

The boy turned, hearing Felix's voice in the distance. A smile plastered on his face, the boy dashed off back to the others only to find-!

"I found some wheels!" said Felix.

"An' I found these metal bits!"

"They're axels." Gloyd said "Ol' school, for somethin' classic."

"An' I found-!"

"The sign." Gloyd answered before Lumi could get another word out "Tha one I helped Dad make."

At the very utterance of the word 'dad', the others froze.

The memories had come back.

"Your dad?" Candlehead asked, her cheeks starting to turn rosy "Ya mean ya remember-?"

"Let's get this thing back into one piece…" Gloyd cut in again, not want wanting to miss a beat as he rushed back to the broken cart the four had inspected before "If we can get this back together maybe we can find the rest of my house!"

Felix looked around the graveyard, taking notice of the many spots and places around him. It would make sense that Turbo should dismantle the cart and place it in various places in the grave yard but there something else he could not put his finger on.

"It's too easy…." The man said to himself "This is far too easy."

"Mr. Fix-it-Felix jr.!"

"Oh!" the man said, turning around to see Candlehead grinning at him "Yes, honey?"

"I think we can find somethin' ya CAN fix, so don't feel bad!"

The Hero in blue could not help but smile; after all of that, Candlehead just wanted to make HIM feel better by giving him a chance to show off his powers.

And so many had said the racers were INCAPABLE of showing kindness.

The man smiled powerfully, getting back on his feet as he joined the kids in their race to put the puzzle together.

"Heh, we're not gonna let ol' Tur-Butt stop us." Felix said powerfully "His tricks won't get tha better'a us!"

"Sides, TRICKS is what's GLOYD is best at." Lumi said with a wink, looking over at the big boy who was already busy at work putting the smaller bits of findings together.

Lumi couldn't have been any happier as this was just what he had always wanted to do; help the racers find what was rightfully theirs and the thing that put the whole cherry on the sundae was Felix's inclusion. Somehow, even though he knew how close the Repairman was to Vanellope, he felt…SAFE. And it was such a welcoming feeling given just how unapproachable many of the others around the President felt towards him.

And it wasn't as if this were the first time Felix had shown he or the other racers such kindness. There was his first encounter with Felix, how the many didn't waste a beat in helping him after he had been injured by Snake, and then there was how quickly he had jumped in to save Swizz when he had fallen down the hole as well as the other small instances in which Felix actually stood up for the racers when it felt like no one else wanted to.

Lumi peered over towards the man, some of his hesitation and doubt washing away.

Felix really was a good guy.

As for the Hero himself he couldn't help but smile as brightly as ever as he watched the racers go about their hunt, seeing them embrace themselves in their true elements. Away from the tracks, away from the crowds Felix was getting a better taste at how the other racers worked with each other, how they talked towards each other and most importantly how they treated each other as well. It was something he realized they were never given a chance to do when surrounded by the others, many larger characters pushing them back and away, shutting them down in their own home in such a way he knew they no longer felt like a part of it.

This is what he wanted Ralph to see. This is what he wanted Vanellope to see, to see that just like they had been misjudged they were misjudging the racers as well.

They were racers, true enough but they were people as well. People with their own goals and all they needed was that chance, the one chance, to show it off.

"I wish they were here…" the man said to himself, continuing with his work.

The four had not realized how quickly they moved, finding part after part, piece after piece of the wheeled contraption about the graveyard and building up what looked to be an impressive vehicle.

"Gracious!" Felix said once he and the kids were able to get the cart back onto its wheel spokes "I hafta say, I didn't expect somethin' like this!"

"But this is it!" said Lumi "I remember this cart! Gloyd n' his folks would travel 'round in it!"

Candlehead looked through the missing doorway, scanning the insides left and right.

"How much could they store in this though? It looks kinda small."

"It was bigger!" Lumi said "I 'member it bein' bigger! Don't ya?"

"N-Not that much…" Gloyd said, shutting his eyes and thinking back as best as he could "But maybe-!"

"Yeah, Gloyd?"

The boy inhaled deeply, trying his all to clear his mind as to get a better picture of the broken memories. He could see the cart through the cloudiness, the condition of it much better than what stood before him at the moment. He could remember some warmth, some smells, some surfaces brushing against his fingers but it didn't move any further.

"I can't bring anythin' back up." The boy said, breathing out "I just can't do it."

"There's gotta be somethin' missin' then." Said Candlehead "Maybe this cart is just one thing an' Gloyd's gotta find more."

"What do ya mean, C-Butt?" asked the Pumpkin boy.

"With Snowy n' Swizz, we got so much but right now we only have a cart. Shouldn't there be a house as well?"

Lumi and Gloyd thought, the two boys unaware that they were thinking the same thing.

"Maybe the mansion is my house?" Gloyd said as he looked towards the track "Maybe?"

"But it seems kinda odd that tha programmers would just put a house right on tha track? I mean, even the track near tha castle doesn't go through it?"

"Heeeey, we had a track that was gonna be part of a volcano." Candlehead chirped "A track in'a house doesn't seem outta place!"

"Ya think Turbo had a hand in this again?" asked Gloyd "Like he took the house n' made it a part'a tha race so we woudn't think otherwise?"

"I…I just dunno…" said Lumi, trying his best to think back "In my stories, we always hung out at tha kart tha most. I mean, we did pass through here an' we did see tha mansion but-."

"Tha answer could be inside. It's gotta be!"

"Don't go rushin' in just yet!" Felix said as he took the boy by the arm and pulled him back "There's still a race goin' on right now an' that last thing I wanna see is ya getting torn up by some tires!"

"Aw, I can make it!" Gloyd protested "'Sides, I've been through worse scraps!"

"I just don't know if it's safe ta go right now." The repairman said, fidgeting a bit "After all, it would be easier an' safer ta go when we know cars won't come barrelin' through here an-!"

"Mr. Fix-it-Felix Jr.?"

The man looked down, Candlehead peering up at him with bright eyes.

"…..he's already gone, isn't he?"

"YUP."

"DARN IT."

* * *

"AND VANELLOPE VON SCHWEETZ CLINCHES A LEAD!" cried the announcer over the megaphone "BUT TAFFYTA MUTTONFUDGE AND ADORABEEZLE WINTERPOP ARE CLOSE BEHIND!"

"Don't let them passsssss!" Snake shouted as loudly as he could "Knock thossssse nobodiesssss off! Crussssh them into dusssst!"

The crowd of outsiders were in a fever pitch as the races continued, many of the contenders having been knocked out but those that hung on made certain that they were not going to give up so easily. The viewers could see the determination and ANGER in each child's face as they continued to zoom down the tracks, heading for the Boo Town center.

"Hang in there kid, hang in there!" Ralph said to himself as he watched Vanellope but much to his shock, he saw Taffyta swing by a side turn, grabbing ahold of a Sweet Seeker and using it against the girl "Augh! So close!"

" _ **BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"**_ Snake jeered again, rousing up the others to follow through "CHEATER! CHEATER ON THE TRACKSSSS! CHEATER ON THE TRACKSSSSS!"

Once more Ralph and Calhoun were getting a good taste at how the outsiders viewed the other racers, mobs of trash being thrown towards the jumbotron once Taffyta was put into view, some more being thrown towards her candy section.

"Aurgh, not this again!" Calhoun growled in disgust, barely missing getting hit in the head by a cup of soda "We're here ta enjoy a race! Not get pelted with trash!"

"MUCK UP THE MUTTONFLUB!" Snake sang, raising his arms in the air "Come on, everyone! Ssssay it with me!"

 _ **MUCK UP THE MUTTONFUDGE!**_

"Rugh, you're gonna cause tha whole row'a seats ta cave in!" shouted Calhoun, pushed back towards Ralph.

 _ **MUCK UP THE MUTTONFUDGE!**_

It wouldn't stop.

 _ **MUCK UP THE MUTTONFUDGE!**_

They didn't care who they were talking about.

 _ **MUCK UP THE MUTTONFUDGE! MUCK UP THE MUTTONFLUB! MUCK UP THE MUTTONFLUB!**_

Calhoun could only thank the programmers that Taffyta was far enough from the rowdy crowds as not to hear them cheering against her, the Marine trying her best to refocus herself on the race and not Snake and his cohorts above him.

Ralph on the other hand found his voice robbed from him, pressed tightly against the crowd and nearly pushed down to boot. It seemed that Snake was far too engrossed at laughing at the other racers' places BEHIND Vanellope to even see that he was nearly SMASHING his so-called 'fellow bad guy' near him.

"Urgh, I can't believe I'm sayin' this guys but can ya PLEASE calm down a bit?" Ralph roared, finally finding his footing as he shot up, a few characters crying out as they were knocked back to their seats. The big man panted, his face red and eyes filled with anger as he glared down at the others, their words finally stopped.

Their looks of fright caught him by surprise, the man snapping to once he realized what he was doing. He hadn't wanted to get so angry at the bunch but his mind had lost focus, jumping before he think clearly.

He moaned, sitting back on in his seat but the others were clearly stunned by his reaction.

"S-Sorry…" the big man mumbled, regretting his actions "Can we just get back ta enjoyin' a race without startin' a riot?"

* * *

"Gloyd, come back!" shouted Candlehead as she ran after the boy as he headed towards the mansion "Mr. Fix-it-Felix Jr. is right! It's too dangerous ta go in this place when a race is goin' on! Ya could get hit or WORSE!"

"Worse? HA!" the boy laughed "I've dealt with Snake-Breath before so I think I'm covered."

"This is such a bad, bad, BAAAAAD idea." The girl meeped, following the boy ito the back of the house, hearing the rushing karts only a few hills away.

Felix and Lumi followed suit, the Repairman looking in awe once he saw the lay out of the track from the inside.

"GOODNESS!" he shouted "I know this place can put ya guys in some odd places but this-!"

"This is tha Boo Town Mansion…." Gloyd said, holding a hand back and pushing felix back towards a wall "Careful, guy. Bein' an out-of-gamer, ya might be able ta take some of tha hits in here."

"….what KINDA hits are we talkin' bout, kid?"

The moment Felix had spoken those words, the floor began to shake under him. He yelped, crying out as the floor boards began to wobble and buckle, the track following suit as it began to warp.

"WHOA!"

"Told ya." Said Gloyd "This is one of tha, shall we say, ADVANCED tracks. Only tha most hardcore of players wanna take this one on."

"An' this one was chosen for tha roster tonight, of all places…" the older man moaned, slapping his forehead "This place never ceases ta amaze me."

"Your welcome!" Candlehead smiled, missing Felix's sarcasm by a mile.

"C'mon." Gloyd signalled as he waved the others through, holding a flashlight out to guide the way "Ya guys were bellyachin' so much 'bout wantin' ta get outta here? Well, tha faster we look an' find what we're lookin' for-!"

"What ARE we even lookin' for?" asked Lumi "Apparently ya must'a gotten MORE than I thought back cuz ya sure ain't tellin' us!"

"Did ya notice somethin' was missin' when we put that ol' cart back up?"

"Um, a lotta things were missin'." Quipped the gummie racer "Like new paint, non-rusty metal. It looks cool but at this point it looks more like 'Tha Rollin' Tetanus' than something I would call Orangeboars' Oddiites."

"It's tha door handle." Gloyd went on "We found that door but tha handle was missin'."

"Um, somethin' like that can be replaced at any time…" said Felix, staying close to the racer should one of them stumble "What would make ya even think it would be-!"

"Mr. Felix, ya gotta trust me on this one." The boy said as he turned around "I…I just have a feelin' 'bout this."

The others looked at the pumpkin racer, the boy reaching into his cap and pulling a copper band from within.

"What's that?" asked Lumi.

"Somethin' I found YEARS back…" the other boy said "I had seen Vanellope goin' through tha woods an' with everythin' King Candy told us-"

The boy stopped, looking up at Felix. He knew it was going to be a touchy story but the man gave a nod, assuring the young racer that his words were safe.

"I just didn't wanna get hurt. I didn't wanna be near 'tha glitch' as he had called her so I hid out here. Vanellope was too scared ta enter Boo Town an' the first ghost she saw?"

" _KIYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA_!"

"But I had gotten stuck, my sleeve caught on somethin'. When I pulled back, a whole lotta stuff fell down but this thing rolled in fronta me."

The boy rubbed the copper ring in-betwen his fingers, the surface squeaking.

"I didn't even know what it was but it was cool lookin' an' with all tha pumpkins on it, I just took it."

He then handed the object over to Felix, the man getting a good look.

"Well?"

"Did King-? Did TURBO know about this?"

The boy shook his hand "I was too scared ta tell 'em. If he found out we went outta of some of the boundaries he had set up for us-"

"BOUNDARIES?" Felix asked, more perplexed than ever.

"Yeah, he had 'em all around." Candlehead said "Like near tha end of tha village, near tha sea. Anywhere he determined that Vanellope wandered was out of bounds for us so we couldn't go."

Felix was putting everything together and the more he heard, the more sick to his stomach, as well as angry, he became.

So Turbo HAD kept the other racers locked in their own game, even with his ejection of Vanellope. Even if they were 'free' as the others had argued, they had little room to roam in a game that they were programmed to live in.

"Keep goin', kid."

"Tha last time somone brought Tur-butt somethin' from outta bounds. He EXPLODED on 'em! It was a lesson I learned right then an' there an' I was always careful ta keep my tracks covered an' anythin' I found hidden not just from Vanellope's eyes, but HIS!"

"Who did he get angry at?" asked Lumi, curious to know. The pumpking racer only starred at the boy, one memory of his coming in crystal clear.

" _TAFFYTA! HOW COULD YOU! DO YOU WANT TO DIE?! ALL BECAUSE YOU WERE STUPID AND WENT BEYOND_ _ **MY**_ _BORDERS?!"_

"Seems ta me…" the Felix said as he studied the object "Ta be tha ring that goes round a door handle."

"See! An' that's why I think tha rest'a nob is here! It might even be in tha same room I found tha ring in!" Gloyd said as he rushed off, thanking the moment for breaking the memory.

"Wait, don't go TOO far!" Felix said, reaching out "I still need a lil guidance through here!"

Felix's ears rung again but this time it wasn't from the house triggering another trap. He quickly wnet to a window, seeing the sugar dust being kicked up on the road.

"Oh, NO!"

The racers were coming, their wheels burning sugar as they blasted towards the next phase of the track.

"Guys, we need ta hit it!" called Felix "They're comin' this way!"

"Not just yet!" called Gloyd, ignoring the warning as he went even further up the house "I wanna go back ta the room an'-!"

"Mr. Orangeboar, we need ta leave!" Felix called out again "We need ta go before-!"

Much to the Hero's dismay the child pressed ahead, Candlehead following him.

"Guys-!" Lumi shouted, ready to jump along with them "Maybe this isn't-!"

Just at that moment the mansion creaked and groaned, the four seeing the walls start to warp and bend.

"Uh-oh…."

The game's system had been alarmed to the racer approaching the area, the rooms starting to twist as the obstacles jutted out. Felix leapt up, Lumi clutched in his arms as he held tight to an iron bar, the spot where he had once stood turning into a deep pit.

"Jimmany _**JAMMINY!"**_

" _ **AAAAAAAAAAH!"**_

The Hero turned, watching as Candlehead and Gloyd were flung backwards into the adjacent room, the door shutting loudly behind him.

"OH NO!"

The two tumbled about roughly, the house continuing to move around them only to come to a stop as they hit a wall.

"OW!"

"Well, that was nice…" moaned Gloyd, looking down to see Candlehead by his side "Aw, man! Don't tell me ya fell in here too!"

"S-sorry…" the girl sniffled, rubbing her sore elbow "I just wanted ta-"

The loud rumbling of the racers entering the mansion maze echoed about the room, things falling over all around the two. Candlehead screamed again, leaping into Gloyd's arms as she shivered and sobbed.

"This why I don't like goin' this far inta Boo Town!" the girl squealed, holding the boy closer "It's even scarier when there are races goin' on!"

As he held onto his friend Gloyd suddenly realized what danger he had put everyone in. So caught up had he been in finding the last piece of the puzzle not once had he considered what would happen to everyone else should they get wrapped up in his actions.

"Uurgh, C-Butt."

He looked over, seeing the stragglers of the race coming up fast from one of the windows. He looked at the ceiling, the beams weak and old and should one of them hit at the wrong moment, a car could fall through and crush them both.

And then there was Lumi and Felix to worry about.

With Lumi, the boy wasn't sure IF he could survive from a hit but he knew there was no chance in the code-void that FELIX could make it so if he wanted to keep the man safe, he had to get him out PRONTO!

"But tha doors are blocked!" the growled, trying his best to turn the knob but the distortion of the game had jammed it tight, escape seemingly impossible. Candlehead continued to look around in fear, feeling as if the walls were creeping up closer and closer around her.

"Gloyd?!"

"I'm thinkin', I'm thinkin'!" the boy said, knocking his head "There's gotta be a way ta get outta here without puttin' everyone else in danger an-!"

He scanned the room, something feeling very familiar about it.

"Hold on a second…."

Scant memories were staring to re-emerge once again, a magnificent floor plan sprawled about before him as it lay atop the twisted room.

 _If there is ever a problem, son._

 _Always look for the hidden latch._

 _Something always sticks out!_

"Sticks out!" Gloyd said "THAT'S IT!"

"H-Huh?" the Candleheaded racer gulped but Gloyd rushed to her and pushed her towards the fireplace.

"Up!"

"W-What?"

"Head UP, C-Butt!" the boy said, kicking in a panel only to reveal a ladder leading UP the long flume.

"Where-? Where did this come from?!"

"I'm used ta things like this." Gloyd said with a smirk "No haunted mansion can keeps its secrets from me!"

"Okay, but what about Mr. Fix-it-Felix Jr. an' Lumi?!"

"Don't worry, bout them!" the boy reassured, waving the girl up "This is gonna lead ya OUTTA tha way of tha karts. Just wait for me there!"

"Gloyd-!"

"Candlehead, ya gotta trust me on this!" the boy blurted out again as he ran towards the door "Go before ya get hurt!"

The girl knew it would be better to aid Gloyd on his plans but given how he was looking at her….

She had never seen him so worried, so scared.

She gave a nod and climbed, not a word more spoken.

Once he felt that Candlehead was out of danger the boy continued on with his mission. He once more reached into his hat, pulling out a long line of fire crackers.

"They say I'm just some snot-nosed punk…." He mumbled to himself "They say I'm just a trouble maker, just a delinquent!"

Reaching for a metal beam, they boy hit the side of the ladder grate as hard as he could, creating sparks strong enough to set the wick of the firecrackers alight. He shoved them in the nooks of the door, rushing behind an old couch for cover and-!

POW  
POP!

PAM!

 _ **POW POW POW POW BANG!**_

The final explosion was enough to blow the door off its hinges, the roaring of the karts louder than ever.

"Hold on, guys!" the boy shouted as he rushed out "HERE I COME!"

By now, the other racers were far too distracted and focused on winning to even notice the three odd ones out on the course. Of course with the hoard of zombies, skeletons and other nasties reaching out for them seeing Felix and Lumi was easier said than done. Thankfully for the two, Felix had managed to flip himself on a ledge out of the way of danger but the battle of wheels was only continuing, the man holding his ears from the deafening roar of engines.

"WOW! HAVEN'T HEARD THINGS THIS LOUD SINCE THE EIGHTIES!"

"WHAT?!" shouted Lumi "YOU KNEW A PERSON NAME BATIES?"

"Aw man, they're stuck!" Gloyd said from his spot, trying to think of the fastest way to the others without getting struck "Of all tha days this track had ta be picked-!"

The boy went about hopping and jumping on the upturned furniture, swinging in the hanging chains and tapestries. He was getting quite the workout that day but if it meant saving Felix and the mysterious Lumi then so be it; what was a little exhaustion?

Back at the main track, people were watching on baited breath as Vanellope and Taffyta fought neck and neck in the haunted track, Ralph standing at the edge of seat.

"Who's gonna take it?"

Taffyta gunned for a Seeker but Vanellope was able to glitch towards it first, hitting it as her kart was armed. The vanilla racer aimed the Choco Chucker but Taffyta came through with her own set of skills, easily dodging the blast that came her way.

"Looks like neither of them are gonna give up on this!" said Calhoun, hands anxiously twitching as she too got pulled into the heat of the race. If only she and Ralph knew just how TWISTED things had become between the two they would have realized that this was no longer about racing or having fun anymore...

* * *

"I can't let the Glitch beat me!" Taffyta hissed to herself, gripping hard onto the steering wheel.

"I can't let Muttonflub beat me!" Vanellope echoed the sentiments to herself, aiming her Choco Chunker again, only two blast left in the canon.

Long gone was the friendly competition and the joy of flying about on four wheels. With how divided the game had become, both girls felt that their victory in the race served as proof to whom was not only the superior racer but who was the superior character within the entire arcade.

Vanellope was fighting for her new 'friends' now, Snake's words about the other racers echoing in her mind.

 _They'll never accept you, like I do._

 _They'll never understand you, like I do._

 _Just leave them Vanellope, they are placeholders._

 **PLACEHOLDERS**.

" _We're not just your placeholders, GLITCH. We were here long before you an' we're gonna wipe ya against tha tracks. No one takes away our games an' declares themselves LEADER, specially no over glorified GLITCH"!_

The two were caught up in the battle, unaware that there were four others among them.

"If I can get ya down…." Felix said, looking around "Maybe we can crawl outta tha window or somethin', then-!"

"Sir, look!"

The man turned, Lumi's finger pointing towards the far end of the hall as Gloyd continued to crawl and roll his way towards them.

"Man, that kid is NUTS!" Felix said "But I guess I should be glad for that!"

"SIIIIIR!" the pumpkin boy shouted as best he could over the roaring of the engines "Just Stay right there!"

"I don't think we have a choice." Felix grimaced, shrugging his shoulders. Lumi watched on, wondering what the boy was going to pull next.

"Where's Candles?" the gummie racer thought to himself, the worst coming to his mind "What happened to her?!"

The three heard the shot of Vanellope's canon above them, the chocolate bits raining down and followed by the loud CRASH of karts colliding.

"My LAND, they're killin' each other up there!" Felix shouted, watching as both girls starting ramming their karts together.

Back with the crowd, a startled gasp was shared among all. Ralph and Calhoun shot to their feet, watching the battle continue between the girls.

"Ooooh, this is almost as bad as when Turbo was tryin' ta kill her!" Ralph panted in panic, Calhoun slightly more composed.

"Okay, I know I said I wanted tha races ta be a bit more excitin' but not THIS much!"

"Look over there!"

The camera moved closer, focusing in on Gloyd as he continued to carefully make his way around the track.

"Wait a second-!"

"Is that…is that tha Orangeboar kid?!" said Ralph, understandably shocked "What's he doin' there?!"

"He'ssss trying to CHEAT!"

The two heroes looked back once more, Snake standing tall on his tail as he pointed a finger towards the screen.

"Look at him!" the reptile cried out "He'ssss actually doing it! He'ssss actually trying to cheat Vanellope out of a win!"

The heroes exchanged glances, neither able to say a word as the crowd became more and more heated, the camera no following Gloyd rather than the remaining racers in the mansion.

"Well, it seems that things have taken a rather interesting turn!" said the announcers, his energetic voice making a disturbing light out of the situation "It seems that one of the missing contenders for this race, one Gloyd Orangeboar, has found a way to participate but I'm not sure of what he's trying is part of the rules!"

"I KNEW those Placeholderssss were no good!" Snake cried out, the others shouting their agreements around him "Now we have PROOF that they'd do anything to HURT Vanellope!"

"HURT her?" Ralph snapped to, looking back at the screen in worry.

"Don't jump out just yet, Wreck-It." Calhoun said, grabbing the man by his collar "Somethin' isn't right here."

* * *

"I got one chance of gettin' this right!" Gloyd panted as he continued to make his way towards the wall, debris falling all around him "Mr. Felix!"

"Yeah?" the man shouted as best he could, waving a hand.

"Go back towards tha picture!"

Felix looked around, trying to find this 'picture' the boy had mentioned, only finding it atop the massive fireplace….

Only a few inches away from the track of which Vanellope and Taffyat were still battling on.

"Wait, ya can't mean-!"

"It's tha only way I'm gonna get ya outta this place alive!" the boy cried out "Ya gotta trust me on this!"

"I don't know if I can make it!" Felix called back, looking down at the width of the panel and himself. He was far too tall to do it, the space only just so large enough to support a racer.

 _A racer like…_

"Young man!"

Lumi gasped, looking up at the adult "Y-Yeah?"

"Look, I know this is dangerous but ya gotta go ahead'a me!"

"But we can't leave ya! If somethin' happens here an' ya get hurt it's gonna be Game Over for ya!"

"I can find some other way out!" Felix cried out as he took a hold of Lumi and pushed him forward "Just go now!"

"What's he doin'?!" Gloyd thought to himself, seeing the man struggle with the racer "Doesn't he know if he misses his chance he'll-!"

The loud wail of crunching metal was heard, the stench of burning sugar filling the air.

" _ **AUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURGH! VANELLOPE!"**_

The two were still going at it, Taffyta having dug the fender of her kart right into the back of Vanellope's, both girls haplessly stuck together.

"Urgh, get off Muttonflub!" Vanellope shouted trying to glitch but as she soon found out being so close to the other girl only made her GLITCH along with her.

The two were not going anywhere separated.

"Call me MUTTONFLUB one more time-!" the white-haired girl growled and holding back all temptation to launch herself at Vanellope.

The heavy karts DRAGGED upon the track, spraying out sparks and debris everywhere. They careened down the course, finally making their way towards Gloyd who had no choice but to jump out of the way and as he did so-

"OOF!"

He hit the hidden button on the side of the wall, the large picture that both Felix and Lumi were standing in front of going BACKWARDS, sending the both of them screaming as they disappeared from view. The pumpkin racer rolled forward, hitting the track on the side and falling down towards the lower bowels of the mansion, grunting loudly as he could only watch as the two karts skidded out of view, the rest following.

Meanwhile Felix and Lumi found themselves sliding up down and all around a cave of tubes, Gloyd's little trap showing itself to be an escape route.

"D-D-D-D-D-Didn't expec-c-c-c-c-t THIS." Felix managed to say as his teeth chattered. The two were finally thrown from the side of the house, landing near the very cart that had spawned the search to begin with.

"Are ya serious?" Felix moaned, rubbing his head.

"Gloyd's still in there." Lumi said, already back on his feet "An' he might be hurt!"

"I know kid, I know." Felix muttered in worried "but how do we get back in? I'm scared that openin' ANY door will throw us in-!"

Before another word could be uttered, Lumi rushed over to the cart and began rolling it.

"Hey, what are ya do-?"

"Uuurgh! J-Just help me with this!" the boy said "I gotta feeling we can use this thing ta help Gloyd!"

"But-!"

"Mister, help us!" Lumi cried out "Who knows what could happen ta Gloyd if he gets TRAPPED in there!"

There were so many risks being taken that night but given the circumstances, they were the only choice.

Inside the mansion, Gloyd continued to duck and cover from the falling debris of the track.

"This is why people hate this track…" he growled "This place is gonna be shaken apart with tha way those nut-balls are goin' on up there!"

 _Charing chariiiiing._

"Huh?"

Gloyd reached into his pocket, surprised that the copper ring was still tucked inside but to his surprise it appeared that something else was going on.

"Whoa, what is this?"

As the ring lay in Gloyd's hand he could have sworn it was glowing, the faint warmth of the item radiating against his skin.

"New trick…" he said to himself "Which can only mean new item?"

The boy placed the ring on his fingers even though much too big, a tingling sensation going through his skin. He raised his hand up, the ring glowing and chirping louder than before.

"Aw man, I gotta go back up now?" the boy groaned, tapping his foot on the ground as if he had forgotten the danger he was in "I swear, there better be somethin' cool up there AN' a sandwich with all this work I'm doin'-!"

* * *

"Ladies and gentlemen, this race is getting more and more rowdy by the second!"

The announcer was doing a fine enough job making EVERYONE nervous, Ralph chewing his nails to STUBS as he watched the screen.

"But it is not just our contenders behind the wheel that have caught our eyes-!" the man continued, the camera zooming in once more to Gloyd as he climbed up the twisted wall of junk "Hey, kid! This is a RACE! Not a climbin' game!"

"He hasn't gotten outta there?" Ralph said, his fingers tender from how hard he had been nipping on them "What could POSSIBLY be in there that he needs ta climb for?"

"He's gonna sabotage tha race!" said someone.

"He's gonna cause Vanellope to lose!"

Once more the others threw their words of anger towards the screen, Gloyd unaware that he was being watched by so many eyes. By now even Calhoun could not explain or give an excuse to Gloyd's appearance out of kart on the track. She NEEDED to know what was going on but like the others around her the best she could assume was the worst.

Everyone watched as Gloyd finally made his way out of the hole, his body still hugging the floor for safety as the other karts roared all around him. He was surprised that by this point no one had seen him struggling about but as the copper ring lead him on-

"Where's this thing takin' me to?!"

He could feel the flames of the giant, main fireplace prickling his skin, the boy's eyes opening wide as he felt the pull getting stronger.

"Oh, no! AW NAH!" he shouted, now franticly trying to get the object off of him "We ain't doin' this! Not now, not EVER-!"

 _ **BROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAN**_!

The boy looked up, Pink Lightening skimming off the side of the track as it broke apart from under Taffyta. The boy cried out as the large portion of candy rained down on him, jumping out of the way just in time before it had crushed him.

* * *

"UUUURGH! It MISSED him!" snarled Snake "I wanted to sssssee that no-good Placcccceholder get hissss-!"

"EY!"

The reptilian bad guy looked over, Calhoun once more glaring daggers towards him.

"Listen up pal, I don't care HOW pent up ya are over those kids! This ain't tha time!"

"It would serve him RIGHT for sneaking onto the track in the first place!" rebutted Snake, many others showing the agreement "Let the little gob break for all it matterssss!"

"Why ya scaly-!"

"Hold on a sec, Sarge!" Ralph butted in, grabbing the woman by her arms and turning her towards the screen "Somethin's goin' on!"

The moment Gloyd fell to the ground the ring slipped off his finger, the object flying right into the glowing embers of the fireplace.

"What tha ho-hos is goin' on?"

The boy could hear the roaring of the fire but as he stared further into the coals…

A familiar pumpkin shape.

It was almost unreal, the boy taking noticing in a hidden grate beneath the pile of coals as the ring slipped through the opening. There was a metallic clang as the pumpkin shape grew brighter than the hot coals around it. It went from orange to white, the shrill whistle of pouring steam filling the entire room.

The boy got back on his knees, putting his hands over his ears as the sound become unbearable, the feedback heard all the way towards the front of the track.

"L-L-L-LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!" the announcer attempted to say, his voice drowned out and glitched "W-W-We are having TECHNICALLY difficulties so-!"

The screen crackled and sparked, static flashing on the screen before it went black.

"Aw, Geeze!" Ralph said, both he and Calhoun rushing from the stands "Emergency!"

* * *

"What's that sound?" Felix said as he looked about, both he and Lumi continuing their push of the kart towards the back of the mansion. They both looked up, ight and steam pouring from every cranny of the building, the events finally catching the attention of the remaining racers inside.

"What tha-?!" shouted Vanellope as she peered over at Taffyta but as she could see even she was confused to what was going on.

This was apparently none of her doing.

The fireplace bellowed out more steam as the pumpkin item shot up through the metal grate, sending hot coals around the room dangerously. Gloyd made certain to duck but he could still feel little pieces hitting his exposed skin. He looked back, eyes wide in awe as he saw the pumpkin shaped item floating before him.

"Okay….this is stretchin' my limits!" the boy said just as the item began to glitch "Uh?"

GLITCH!

"URGH!"

GLITCH!

Once more, glitches ran through the racer's body, Gloyd falling to his knees and clutching his head.

"W-What's happenin'-?!"

The entire house rocked as a massive glitch wave hit it, the racers still within the maze crying out as their tires left the ground. The shock was powerful enough that a small ripple was felt at the stands, the crowds shouting out.

"Is the game breaking?!" someone called out, holding tight onto the railing.

"Hello? Can anyone hear me?!" called the unseen announcer "Everyone, remain calm!"

As if that was going to happen.

Just at that moment the first round of racers made their way to the finish line.

"JUBILEENA BING-BING WINS!"

But everyone was far too focused on the static-filled screen to notice the candy contestants making their return.

"I might be able ta get it goin' again." Calhoun said as she frantically dug through her utility belt "But I don't have any insta-fixes like Felix does!"

"What WAS he doin' anyway?" panted Ralph, looking about "It's bad enough we catch that kid on screen, but Felix was with 'em?"

Ralph blanched, looking at all corners as he tried to decide what move to make. He took another glance back towards the finish-line, Vanellope not among the tiny crew that had made it back. He remembered her battle with Taffyta in the mansion, just how ANGRY the girl was to ensure that she would never cross the track.

So many vivid and terrible memories were flashing before Ralph's eyes and if he knew Taffyta Muttonfudge well enough-

"We gotta go ta that house."

"What?" Calhoun said, looking up at Ralph "But what about-?"

"I'm sure someone from here can deal with tha screen!" the big man growled, taking the smaller woman by the shoulder and dragging her out of the stands "I'm not gonna let Vanellope alone with those cavities if-!"

 _ **HHHHHHHNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNRRRRRRRRRRRR**_!

The high-pitch squeal of the sound-system pierced the air, everyone around placing their hands over their ears from the wail.

"Urgh, what is THAT?!"

The screen flicked a few times, finally returning to Boo Town and much to the surprise and relief of Ralph-

"VANELLOPE!"

The camera was focused on both the vanilla racer and Taffyta, both girls standing in awe as the sight of the glitching and warping mansion played out in front of them.

" _ **What's happenin'?!"**_

" _ **Why are ya lookin' at ME, Von Schweetz?! I didn't have anythin' ta do with this!"**_

"Folks, I don't know what to tell ya." Said the announcer, the camera flying up to take another shot of the area "But it seems that there is a glitch going on right now!"

"The only thing I sssee…." Snake hissed angrily behind Ralph and Calhoun "Issss a rotten placcceholder! Sssstuck at the sssscene of the crime!"

"Where's Felix?" Calhoun quickly capped the reptile off, not realizing she had done so "He was in that house, so-?!"

* * *

"HANG ON, BOY!" shouted Felix as he pushed the cart as best he could, the vehicle picking up speed as both hopped in and drove around the warping house. Felix looked up and down the place, hoping to see a sign of Gloyd anywhere.

"C'mon, c'mon! Ya gotta be in there!"

"Look!"

Lumi pointed towards one of the windows, Gloyd's figure seen through it.

"Good, he's close! I just need ta signal him so he can jump!"

Felix hit a hard left, feeling some of the speed leaving the wheels but he continued to force the cart on.

"Don't give up on me now, baby! We have a racer ta save!"

Once more Lumi was struck by Felix's acts of heroism, the man not caring for his own safety given should he suffer his own injury, especially a GRAVE one, he would not have the fortune of returning.

The Hero in blue swung forward, landing on the sideways landing in the room.

"GLOOOOYD!" the man cried out "GLOOOOOOYD!"

Even with the noise going on in the house, the pumpking racer made out the sound of Felix's voice, turning around just in time to see him pulling aside the house. He smiled in joy, kicking the window out.

"Mr. Felix!"

"Ya don't have much time!" the man called up "If ya jump now, I can catch ya!"

"But-! But tha house-!"

"Your life matters more than this!" Felix called back "Now for tha love of Pac-Man, JUMP!"

The house groaned again, beams breaking around the two. Gloyd screamed as he tried to move himself forward but at the last second the window folded in, trapping him back inside.

"NO!" gasped Felix, but he too felt a jerk, the land around the cart rising up around him and surround both he and Lumi.

There was a large explosion from within the house, the entire area of Boo Town shaking as a glow poured from every window. The two girls outside shrieked as some of the adornments on the house fell off, crashing onto the ground dangerously close.

"Gah!"

"Nya-!"

Vanellope opened her eyes first, seeing the broken relief of King Candy before her, the stone fixture shattered before her eyes but as she looked up she took notice that some of the others around the house had not been destroyed, even if the place were starting to bend into itself.

Atop the tower from where the fireplace ladder led, Candlehead screamed and held onto whatever she could find, the mansion swinging to the left and then to the right.

"Please stop, please stop!" she pleaded in fear, the fun of Boo Town gone to her. The landing was becoming more and more lose in her hold, the girl whimpering in terror once she realized she could fall at any moment.

"Someone! _**HEEEEELP!"**_

Felix heard Candlehead's cries from above, looking up to see her swinging VIOLENTLY from the metal poles..

"Oh, no! Candlehead!"

Lumi's eyes shot open, remembering that he had lost track of her during the hunt.

"What-?! What do we do?!"

The house lurched again, the area where the two sought refuge taking a sharp move to the left, both sliding hard into the wall.

"Oh my land! OH MY LAND!"

The ground seemed to reach up and grab the group, everything going dark.

* * *

"What a sight this is folks!"

Back at the track, the commentator continued on with his duties, the marshmallow cameras moving closer to the house but with every inch they approach the feed became more and more glitches, the energy surrounding the mansion proving to be too much for the devices to take.

"Vanellope, get outta there!" Ralph cried out in vain, his voice unable to carry no matter how loudly he screamed.

"I bet thisss isss all Muttonflub'ssss doing!"

"YEAH!"

The adults turned around, seeing the sights of a certain reptile drumming up a pitch within the game's guest. Calhoun narrowed her eyes, Snake's words in the middle of the emergency only bringing forth bitterness she was having a tough enough time trying to contain.

"Let'ssss sssstring up that brat!" the Snake boss cheered, his fist held high "And the ressst of thosssse bratsss! That'll teach them for cheating!"

The crowd roared in agreement, readying themselves to first storm the winner circle but before Snake could move a single scale down the stairs.

"DON'T ANYONE MOVE!"

Calhoun's powerful yell petrified everyone in their tracks, her glare cutting through them like a hot knife through buttered code.

"Don't ANY of ya move one more pixel."

Ralph looked back, once more frightened by the sight of the woman's anger and power.

"There is an EMERGENCY goin' on here…" the woman began, pointing a sharp finger at Snake "An' tha first thing that comes ta your brain is ta start a RIOT?!"

"But Ssssargent! That brat-!"

"NOT ANOTHER WORD OUTTA YA, SNAKE!" Calhoun said, finally letting everything go "My god damn HUSBAND is in DANGER an' tha first thing ya wanna do is go after some freakin' kids?!"

After so long, after so many confrontations, Snake was silent against the Space Marine, his power lost once those in his poesy were reminded of the Hero was in danger. Seeing that control was now in her hand, the Marine stood tall.

"Everyone, remain calm an' stay here. Tha activity seems only ta be contained at that point in tha track so right now, you're safer here."

Her brow raised, a cold wind blowing over everyone.

"'Less SOME OF YOU would like to clean out Cybug stocks for tha next MONTH, I advise ya ta stay here. GOT IT?"

Nods all abound; they weren't going _**ANYWHERE.**_

GLITCH!

"Oh no!"

Everyone turned back towards the screen as the events continued to unfold at Boo Town, the entire house lifting off its foundation.

"Ladies and gentlemen. It seems out cameras have lost track of the others who were inside the house…"

Ralph and Calhoun moved closer to the screen, the Marine awaiting for the single to call her troops and make the hike to the track by foot.

"C'mon, c'mon! I know you're there Felix! I know it!"

The cameras outside the house continued to film the action, those at the stands in silence and only guessing what would happen next.

Something did happen.

Lines of code began to spread out all around, hitting every tree, statue, and tombstone in the area. Vanellope and Taffyta moved back but it seemed that the lines were following their movements, making turns along with them.

"Yow! What is this?!"

Finally the lines caught up with the both of them, their movements paused as they felt a strange sensation radiating from under them.

"AH-!"

Taffyta suddenly felt weightless, her mind floating around but-

But it felt wonderful.

The area around her went white and her eyes felt heavy. Boo Town had all but disappeared as she found herself pulled into an area of pure code, pinks and whites floating around her.

" _H-Huh?"_

 _Taffyta?_

" _Huh?"_

 _Taffyta?_

The voice sounded far away, a smooth female tone dancing along the binary. Taffyta slowly opened her eyes, the light fading to reveal the darkness of the track area once more as she landed on her feet.

"Oh!"

She turned, seeing Vanellope standing about with her hands clutching her chest, panting frantically. Without thinking, Taffyta sprung up and rushed for the girl but once she was only but an inch away from her-

She stopped.

Why?

A deep, low moan filled the area, the large mass of code glowing brightly before them. The mansion then began to reform, rebuild, reshape itself as the familiar structures disappeared, replaced by new pumpkins and designs. In fact everything within the cemetery began to restore itself, anything reflecting the image of the old King destroyed and replaced by much more fitting features.

The audience at the track were in just as much shock as the other racers, the sight of the pumpkins popping up but where were the others?

"Is Gloyd still trapped in there?" asked Jubileena, Citrusella joining her twin in worry.

"Kids!"

The racers swirled around and saw Calhoun and Ralph jetting towards them, the Marine looking very worried.

"Does this normally happen after a reset?!"

The mansion finally corrected itself, looking more splendid and spectacular than ever but there was one important thing; it was still several yards off the ground.

"INCOMIN'!" Taffyta shouted, pushing Vanellope into a bush for safety and joining her a nanosecond later just as the massive structure landed.

 _ **BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!**_

Even those who were far away at the racer's circle could feel the quake of the house hitting the ground but things were only getting interesting. The tower atop the mansion creaked loudly as it folded over towards the left, BLASTING something up into the air, four screams wailing as they flew higher and higher. Calhoun's eyes widened to dinner plates a she caught sight of one PARTICULAR shade of powder blue clutching onto something.

"Felix?!"

* * *

"OH MY GOSH! OH MY GOSH!" the bewildered Hero called as he clutched onto the side of the old wooden cart for all his life, the ground moving further and further away from him _**"WHAT IN THA ARCADE JUST HAPPENED?!"**_

"Um, we're takin' an evenin' flight?" Candlehead replied absentmindedly, the moon glowing brightly before the group.

"Uh, not ta be a worrywort here, but can someone tell me how we're gonna make it down SAFELY?!" Lumi gasped, feeling the upward climb starting to slow and only dreading when it would go in reverse.

The four continued upwards at a steady pace until they finally came to a stop, the old cart frozen in mid-air as it became bathed in the bright light of the moon. It seemed as if everything slowed down at the moment, the four feeling weightless as their movements slowed, their minds calmed and if for a moment, they could see every bit of land in the kingdom.

 **AND THEN GRAVITY RETURNED.**

"Crumbs." Said Lumi.

The cart then dropped to the ground like a stone, four characters clutching on for dear life.

"Okay, I hate ta remind everyone that I don't have IN-GAME INSURANCE here so if ANY of ya could come up with a plan-?!"

"Ya expect us ta do somethin'?!" shouted Gloyd as he glowered at Felix, a good enough way to disguise his own blinding panic "Oh, yeah! I can fly an' get us all outta here in-!"

Gloyd looked in front of himself, seeing the pumpkin shaped door knob. As the moon glowed behind him its light seemed to be shining towards a particular area.

The door.

It still needed one thing to become whole.

"Oh, no! OH, NO!" cried Lumi, holding onto the cart for dear life "We're not gonna make it! We're-!"

" _ **GONNA MAKE IT!"**_

Everyone looked towards Gloyd, the boy pushing himself forward as he SLAMMED the knob into place, the door glowing and sparking as the entire vehicle went alight. Felix was spellbound, mouth dropping as just like the mansion the cart began to repair itself as well, the broken bits and rotten wood replaced in an instant.

"Well, I'll be-"

"Alright guys, get in!" Gloyd said as he threw the door open, a black void the only visible thing. The other three looked in, thinking that perhaps landing on the ground in a mangle HEAP would be better than taking a dive into the unknown.

"UH. Kid?"

Gloyd didn't even wait for his friends to respond, shoving them right into the door and closing it behind him. The four were surrounded by darkness, falling into yet another abyss but Gloyd smiled bigger than ever, grabbing a hold of his coat and fanning it out as he flew through the air above them.

"Everyone hang on! Tha flight's not over yet!"

* * *

"NO!" shouted Calhoun, reaching from within her jacket and pulling out her hover-board "They're gonna crash! They're gonna CRASH!"

Ralph was equally as horrified of the sight of his best friend endangered, the camera tracking every moment of the fall.

"C'mon! There's gotta be loads of those guys floatin' about! _**WHY AREN'T THEY DOIN' ANYTHIN'?!"**_

Calhoun hopped on the board and prepared to go off, her flight taking her right to the jumbotron.

"It can't be too late, it can't be!" she thought to herself "Ride as fast as ya can, Tammy! Ya gotta-!"

"LOOK!"

Calhoun nearly crashed into the massive screen, stopping just in time to see-!

 _ **FWOOOOOOOOOOOOSH!**_

" _ **BWHOA!"**_

Right before her eyes a MASSIVE Jack-O-Lantern balloon ERUPTED from the top of the cart, halting the dangerous decent-!

"Honey?"

"Hey-Hey!"

Gloyd's voice echoed across the circle, the boy appearing at the front of the cart as he steered the thing back on course. His grin was plastered everywhere, all screen in the game and across the arcade

"Sorry 'bout that folks…" the boy said, his voice echoing with the familiar smugness that only the other racers knew "But if ya hang on with us for a sec, things will return at normal!"

Calhoun blinked, bewildered by what she had just saw.

 _ **BWA-WOOOOOOOOOOG!**_

In the distance the great pumpkin balloon could be seen, Gloyd honking the horn to the cart as he piloted perfectly towards the track.

"Make way everyone!"

No one could utter a word as the cart came down, landing right at the spot where the first-place marker was with the balloon eclipsing all. Gloyd took the silence as yet another treat, the boy snickering to himself.

"Hmmph, an' ya thought ya had seen everythin'."

With the wheels back on the ground, Felix stumbled out of the back of the cart, egs wobbling under him like Jell-O.

"I-I keep findin' myself in these situations…"

"Guys!"

Clattering candy could be heard as two mangled cars finally made their way back to the track, Vanellope hardly stopping her kart as she glitched out and ran towards the others but she stopped once she was inches away from Gloyd's vehicle and the balloon.

She stared at it, its demonic eyes gazing down like a monolith.

"I-!"

"Are you okay, Presssident?!"

Vanellope glitched again, having no time to react as Snake shoving some of the racers away to get to her.

"Do you know what thissss HEDIOUSSSSS thing isssss?!"

Despite the insult thrown his way, Gloyd did nothing more than roll his eyes and snort.

"Hideous? Someone doesn't have a taste for fine crafts from tha looks of it."

More and more people began to gather around but they made certain to keep some distance away. Even if there were many wondrous things in the game seeing the sight of Gloyd standing cockily by the monstrous balloon had put some of the guests on edge.

And in Snake's case, he was certain he had found perfect scape-goat to turn the energy of the crowd against the racers once more.

"You ussssed thissss thing to CHEAT!" Snake roared out, pointing towards the unflinching boy "And there issss no way to hide it now! We have you on video for all to sssseee!"

Gloyd yawned and placed his hands behind his back, not at all threatened by the reptile's antics.

"Yeah, I was in Boo Town durin' tha rosters. Doesn't say a thing that I was cheatin' though."

"Then how do you explain THISSSS hunk'a junk?!" Snake spat out a again, standing all and angry against the boy "I bet you were jusssst waiting! On Muttonflub'ssss orderssss to try to get Vanellope to loosssse and-!"

"No one wants ta hear your babblin', Snake-Breath." Taffyta said in a hard voice, stepping in front of Gloyd "I'm just as new ta this thing as YOU are so don't even-!"

" _ **SSSSHUT UP, PLACCCCEHOLDER!"**_ the creature roared back at the children "You wordssss mean nothing sssso get back into your placccce before I-!"

"Orangeboar Oddities…."

A little voice broke through the madness, everyone turning to see Candlehead standing outside of the cart and gazing at the sign above.

"Candlehead?"

The girl looked up at the sign on the cart, her head filled with vivid colors and memories, of sounds that had long been buried, locked in a part of her code that she never dreamed she would find again.

"Mister Blanc Orangeboar an' Mrs. Kobacha Orangeboar!" the girl said in a dreamy voice "Proprietors of tha strangest, oddest, but all around most _**AMAZIN'**_ place in tha Kingdom of Sugar Rush!"

"What issss ssso ssso-? Sssso _**AMAZING**_ about thisss peicccce of sssscrap?"

Snake may have been mad enough but he could not counter the happiness that Candlehead was showing, Gloyd looking amazed.

"They sold books, tricks, all kinds a'things!" the girl sang, trying her best to keep from getting too excited and sending sparks everywhere "Mr. Blanc Orangeboar would start the show, Mrs. Kobacha Orangeboar doin' her tricks! So much magic an' mayhem! It was WONDERFUL!"

"Ya remember?" Gloyd asked in a hushed voice "Ya mean ya 'member my folks too?"

"On those crisp fall nights…." The girl continued, looking at the pumpkin racer with a smile, taking his hands gently into her own "We would all gather in Boo Town! Tha Orangeboars had everythin' ready for the best Hallow's Festivals, lastin' all month!"

The girl twirled around, her hands held high in the air, all her fear towards the cemetery forgotten as the memories continued to flow, energy buzzing about!

"Hot pumpkin pie! Sweet steamy cider! Tha smell of tha leaves, tha chill of that night covered by a roarin' fire! Toasty marshmallows as we listened ta stories! Tha big moon shinin' bright with tha stars!"

"Candlehead, what are ya talkin' about?" asked Vanellope, her brow raised in confusion.

"It was all here!" the candleheaded girl shouted again, jumping up "That's what we did! That's how I met Gloyd!"

The way those words flew from Candlehead's mouth seemed to ECHO throughout the vast land, Gloyd blushing deeper than ever.

"Is this true?" asked Felix, the boy nodding his head as he attempted to recover from his embarrassment.

"Aw, c'mon C-Butt! Stop this mush!" the boy huffed, clearing his throat "No one wants ta hear 'bout all this lovey-dovey barf!"

"But-! But it's part of our stories!" said Candlehead "How could ya even think-?"

"Yeah! NO ONE wantssss to hear about some BRATSSSS ssstory!"

The two racers jumped, Snake slithering up behind them with a sinister smile about his face. From the side-lines, Lumi knew it all too well; it was the smile Snake gave off when he was ready to DESTROY.

"Don't even touch this thing, Snake-Hole!" growled the gummie boy, still very sour from the destruction that had befallen his fishing equipment "Or I swear, I'm gonna-!"

"I'm not buying those wordssss, BRAT." The big snake said "There have been far too many coincidencesssss around here for my liking."

"Who says things have to go through _**YOU**_ first?" Gloyd said in a snooty tone, waltzing up the reptile "None'a this is your beeswax anyway so stop actin' like you're Vanellope's pet President!"

The boy then reached up and pulled down on Snake's sleeve, his hand moving away from the sign on the cart.

"An' I'll thank ya for NOT puttin' ya greasy claws on my things, kay?"

The other racers gasped in unison, surprised that one of their own would talk to a foe in such a manner.

"Gloyd!" Vanellope said as she quickly leapt to the boy, wanting to save everyone from the fireworks "Snake-! He's-!"

"He's a NUISANCE that's what, Nellope."

By this point, Gloyd was fed up. He had taken enough of being the creature's personal punching bag and seeing the others take it as well had sent him over. Somehow regaining a large part of himself had also brought back a large part of his COURAGE, the boy finding the Snake's attempts at scaring him rather hilarious.

"Come off tha bluff, Snaky. Ya don't scare me." The boy chuckled, tipping his hat forward "Really, man. What's with this hard Vanellope worshippin' guff anyway? Ya didn't even KNOW 'bout her till she hit it big an' since then you've been actin' like ya've followed her since _**WE**_ got here."

"Whoa, hold your horses kid." Ralph warned, knowing nothing good was to come "We're all glad ya got your…your ol' timey…medicine cart…back, but don't run tha risk, okay?"

Gloyd could only smirk at Ralph "Rancis' farts are more of a RISK than this guy will ever be!"

" _ **GLOYD."**_

"'Sides, all those acc-u-sations 'bout me cheatin'? Puh-LEASE!"

Snake blinked in surprise, Gloyd acting light on his feet as he walked in front of the cart.

"I've got more faith in m'self than to do somethin' that stupid." The boy continued "But I guess your faith in Vanellope is so low ya don't believe she can outwit us 'Placeholders' huh?"

The strike against Snake was one that left the reptile still as a statue, his scales rattling with anger as he looked at the boy in orange, Gloyd's cool composure only causing his blood to boil more.

"You little-!"

"Uh-oh!" said Lumi, ducking down "Here it comes!"

"How dare you talk to me like that!" Snake roared, trying to swipe at Gloyd " _ **HOW DARE SOMEONE LIKE YOU EVEN OPEN YOUR MOUTH AT ME!**_ "

"An' how 'duhre' ya swing those claws about with a warnin'. Ya could lop someone's head off, Snakey!"

"Maybe I sssshould sssstart with YOURSSS!"

Snake made yet another swing at Gloyd, the other racers ducking out of the way but the creature moved too fast for his own good and wound up getting his own tail in a tangle.

"YAURRRGH!"

He flew forward and SMASHED into the side of the cart, the wooden frame creaking loudly as something came crashing down from the underside.

"Oh, boss!" cried Felia as she dashed over to help her leader "Ya okay?!"

"What's that?"

Candlehead crawled under the cart, the box clenched in her hands.

"Oh? Is that somethin' of yours kid?" Calhoun asked but the only thing Gloyd could do was shake his head.

"Nah, I don't remember that thing."

Taffyta felt her hair curl at the ends, the designs on the chest coming to her instantly.

"Wait-! That's-! That's King Candy's decal!"

"King Candy?!"

"Turbo?!"

"This belonged to him?" Candlehead said curiously, the box held at her chest "It doesn't look too-!"

"Put it down, Candles!"

"Huh?"

The girl saw a bright glitch come before her, Vanellope smacking the box out of her hand.

"Hey, Von Schweetz!" spat Taffyta "What'd ya do that for?"

"Don't trust that thing." The vanilla racer snapped, wiping her brow "We all know that anythin' ta do with that creep spells-!"

The box began to shake and shiver, the golden lock upon it snapping apart. Everyone stood a good distance away, their breaths held for whatever was to come their way.

"Get behind me, everyone!" Ralph said in a powerful voice as shielded the group "Whatever is in that thing, I'll-!"

Before Ralph could finish his words the top of the box flew open-

 _ **PHWIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIISH!**_

And out flew many pieces of paper.

"Whoa, that was weird…" said Swizz, his hands held out as he caught some of the small sheets.

"Wait a second."

"What is it, Mintz?"

"These…theses are photos!"

The lollipop racer turned the paper over, seeing that there were indeed images printed on them but upon futher inspection.

"Taffyta!"

"What?"

"It's…it's a picture of YOU!"

"What?!" the girl shouted as she ran over towards the boy, seeing that the picture was indeed a photo of her "How-?! How did this-?!"

"Here's one with Crumbellina!" said Citrusella.

"Here's one with Vanellope!"

"An' one with me an' Sticky!"

"What in tha arcade is goin' on here?" Calhoun asked as she too began to pick up the many photos that were still floating towards the ground. As she inspected the photos even further it came to her attention that while the portions of the phots that contained the racers were intact.

"Did someone CUT these things?"

OTHERS were missing. Large chunks were removed from the photos; backgrounds containing buildings, landscapes and most of all the older figures that seemingly accompanied the racers.

"This…this is the throne room!" Vanellope said "I'd recognize it anywhere!"

"But why did Turbo cut the photo like that? He left enough of ya an' the throne in there but why-?"

"He didn't want 'em ta see 'em…."

Everyone turned towards Felix, the man looking down at the photos in this clutches.

"What was that, Brother?"

"He wanted ta safe-guard EVERYTHIN'…." The man said "An' it didn't just stop with buryin' tha homes."

The Hero held up one of the photos, the jagged ends lining up with the track.

"He…he must have been scared. That if someone else, someone outta game were ta come an' find all'a this. He didn't want 'em showin' tha kids their families!"

"Why keep tha kids though?" asked Ralph.

"I can only guess tha creep wanted ta keep tabs on 'em when he frst got here." Calhoun replied "Keep some knowledge about what they did in case someone on tha outside started askin' questions."

The more Ralph thought about the things Turbo had done the more disturbed he felt. It was one thing to know that the former racer had done so much to Vanellope but as more and more clues as to how far spread his actions were, the big man felt part of the wall starting to break.

It didn't just stop or start with Vanellope; the pictures that littered the track grounds were filled with ALL the kids, showing that they were all targets.

"Hey, Lumi."

The man looked up, seeing Taffyta walking over to the boy who looked a might drained and worried, his small hands filled with the destroyed photos.

"Lumi, what's got ya lookin' so down?"

"Taffyta…"

The boy turned to the left, then to the right, the worry growing.

"I…I can't find any'a _**MY**_ pictures!"


	18. Chapter Seventeen- Haunted Hallows

Chapter Seventeen- Haunted Hallows

Lumi had hit his goal three times in a row but even so, the boy felt no victory and it was all thanks to a some slips of paper.

"I'll take these." Said Calhoun, gathering up the evidence "Since Felix already told me what happened when he tried ta fix that ol' cart-"

"It might be better ta have YOUR boys look inta it." Felix nodded "Gotcha on that one honey."

Lumi sat at the stands sadly, his head hung low and his spirits feeling even lower.

"Lumi?"

The boy looked up, seeing the racers starting to gather around. A foul little pout formed on his face as he crossed his arms, trying his best to turn away from the others.

"Whaddya guys want?"

"We heard what happened." Said Swizzle, putting his hands in his pockets "Really sucks stale cookies, bud."

"I just don't understand it." Said Snowanna "How could somethin' like that happen?"

"Like what?"

The new voice caused the others to jolt in place, the candy racers turning their heads to see-

"Guys?"

Vanellope Von Schweetz.

The awkwardness was raised to a new height as the group glared at the girl, some of them fidgeting uncomfortably as Vanellope approached them.

"Um….was it somethin' I said?"

Silence was the only reply the girl got, her eyes going down to Lumi as the boy turned away from her once more. She grumbled, rolling her eyes at the sight.

"C'mon, Lumzee. What did I do THIS time?"

"Nothin'." The boy said as he got up and began to walk away "So there's no need in tryin' ta talk, okay."

"Hey, wait a second!"

Vanellope glitched over to the boy and grabbed him, his skin prickling over as the surge of energy went through him. He was stunned for a second but ripped his arm from her hold.

"Will ya STOP doin' that?!"

"What's got ya all twisted like licorice?!" Vanellope snorted, seeing the boy's cheeks going redder and redder "Ya got Gloyd's house back. Isn't that enough for ya?"

Vanellope attitude was already starting to tick the boy off, his hands balling into fist.

"NO!"

By now, a few others were gathering around the group and watching the events unfold.

"Are Vanellope n' Taffyta at it again?" Felix said in worry, trying to look over the crowd. Ralph's brows furrowed once he saw Lumi in the helm of things.

"Oh, ya gotta be kiddin'-!"

"Calm down, Lum-Dee." Vanellope said, putting her hands up in defense "You're gonna blow if ya keep goin' like-!"

"Does EVERYTHIN' hafta be a joke with ya?!"

The girl stopped, seeing the boy shaking in her rage but he began to loosen, darkness starting to surround his eyes. She peered up, seeing the others surrounding the boy as their gazed pierced through her, bringing back other more recent memories she only wanted to forget.

Why of all times were the others now standing up for someone? They hadn't done that while they were under TURBO'S control, but now?

"I bet this is funny ta ya…" Lumi growled, wiping his eyes "Ya an' Snake an' everyone else can laugh 'bout me not havin' pictures. Ya can call me a virus! I know ya are!"

"I wasn't gonna do that!" the girl retorted, her voice coming out a lot angrier than she had realized "I-! I didn't even know 'bout this whole thing till-!"

She growled, glitching in place.

"Look guys! I don't wanna do anythin' ta ya, so-!"

"Ya say that…"

The raven-haired racer looked up, Taffyta stepping forward in the crowd with her hands on her hips, a nasty frown on her face.

"Ya say that yet who's tha one who's been lettin' everyone come in here an' kick us around?"

Vanellope looked bewildered at the strawberry racer, her scowl creepier than the balloon hovering over Gloyd's new cart.

"Don't pretend ta be surprised, Von Schweetz,"

Candlehead looked up, growing worried at the obvious heat that was forming between the two. She quickly shot up, getting between the girls and separating them at arm's length.

"Guys, not now!" she whimpered, shutting her eyes as she hoped neither girls would jump "Gloyd-! Gloyd just got his house back! We should be happy for that!"

Taffyta rolled her eyes, moving back towards the others "I guess you're right, C-Butt. It does feel nice seein' OUR THINGS bein' returned ta us. Kinda reminds me how much OUR GAME has to offer."

The strawberry racer was REALLY laying it thick for Vanellope to hear, only adding to the vanilla racer's annoyance. She peered up at the massive orange and black balloon, its mass slowly swaying in the wind. She didn't want to admit it to anyone around but her spine shook at the sight, its looks rivaled only by that of the horrific Candy Bug.

"Hey, kid!"

Vanellope looked over, Ralph waving his hands towards her.

"We're gonna get this stuff taken care of, okay?"

"Let me go with ya." Vanellope said, dashing over to the adults much to their surprise.

"Wait, don'tcha wanna stay with your friends?" asked Felix "I mean, there's a lotta things ya guys could be talkin' 'bout since-!"

"I think they got it covered on their own…" the girl said with a huff, walking ahead of the older characters.

"What's tha matter?" asked Ralph, the child shooting him a worn glance.

"Gloyd's cart is just fine, so there's no need'a me gettin' in his way."

"His cart?" asked Calhoun "What 'bout his HOME? I actually wanted ta see what was in that place when it-?"

"Sarge?"

The woman looked down at the girl, Vanellope letting out frustrated sigh.

"I think there's somethin' I should tell ya 'bout Gloyd's home…."

Hours later Sugar Rush had gone still, the night air warm but a gentle breeze swept through the trees and kicked up the leaves. Far from the castle, far from the village Boo Town was at peace or as peaceful as the spooky little town could get. The dusk crows sang their songs, their heavy wings beating against the air. Crickets chirped and the great owls let out their 'Hoo-hoo. Hoo-hoo'.

But there were soon to be others in Boo Town.

"Are ya sure 'bout this, Snake?"

"Of coursssse I am ssssure."

Heavy scales dragged upon the damp grounds leading to the little area in the game, sinister plots cooking in minds. Snake had made certain he wasn't seen but after what he was planning on doing

"Heh, too eassssy."

He was ready to make a statement.

Felia and Baston looked about, nervous to their surroundings.

"I know this is just a dumb kids' game…" gulped Baston "But does it really have ta turn inta THIS at night? You'd think you're in a Resident Evil game or somethin'!"

"Oh, don't let thissss pre-sssschool fluff ssssscare you." Snake said as he dug through a large bag he had carried slung over his shoulders "If that Von Sssschweetz kid thinksssss thissss issss sssscary, I'd LOVE to ssssee her reaction if we plopped her in front of our little TRICK?"

Had Snake really spoken such terms about his so-called 'friend'?

Had he been around anyone else, the reptile would have spoken the ARCADE about the girl or at least that's what he would have shown off. His sudden choice of words came at a surprise to his two companions, Felia tapping her leader on the shoulder.

"Um, Boss?"

"What issss it now?"

"What EXACTLY are we gonna do here anyway?"

"I told you…." the boss snickered to himself, grabbing a bat from his bag "Even if that muscle-headed She-Man Marine triesss ta sssscare ussss, sssshe can't keep her eyessss on usss all tha time. AND ssshe hassss no way of pinnin' crimessss on ussss, lesssss sssshe wantssss ta be sssseen assss sssssomone who hatessss baddiesssss."

Snake-Oil placed his eyes upon Gloyd's cart, its owner out of sight. His smile only grew, his tongue wriggling out at the very taste of destruction.

"I'm going to sssshow thosssse bratssss…" He began as he started his journey towards the wooden jalopy "Who issss REALLY in charge of thissss game!"

Snake lifted the bat over his head, ready to bash the sign down first but then he stopped.

"Boss?"

The creature looked in curiosity towards the door, something shiny glittering before his eyes.

"Hey, Snake what is it?" asked Baston, he and Felia running up to their leader. The two looked down, also noticing the shiny object in front of them.

A key?

A cooper key with a pumpkin handle.

"Who left that there?" asked the purple feline, her tail swishing about in wonder.

"It HAS ta be that pumpkin punk's. Who else could somethin' like this belong to?" replied Baston.

Snake looked at the item…and chuckled.

"Snaky?"

"Heh, pathetic lil IDIOT." He cackled to himself, taking a hold of the object in his hands "Did he REALLY think he could hide thissss from ME?"

"Wait, are we gonna go in?" asked Felia in surprise "Ya just said we were gonna make a lil mess, that's all! If we go in, that dolt is sure ta see us!"

"Sssssomething tellssss me that Mr. Orangeboar issssn't at home." Cackled the creature "Ssso he won't mind if we make oursssslvessss comfortable here."

Snake turned the key HARD and shoved the door open, ready to make his way through the cart to dismantle it from the inside out.

"Thissss isss going to be even better than I thought! I cannot WAIT to sssee that placccceholder CRY!"

The three then got in but as they were prepared to entire a TIGHT and CONFINED cart, none of them were prepared for what happened next.

Snake got in first and to his surprise the area felt rather…SPACIOUS.

"Hmmm."

It was still dark but he found he was able to move, to stretch, his tall and long body free and unbounded by the small size of the vehicle.

"Well…that wassss odd."

"AH!" cried Felia, nearly tripping as she over-jumped herself "That was a drop!"

"SHHH!" said Snake, putting a finger to his lips "You're going to bring everyone'ssss attention to ussss if you keep that up!"

"YOU'RE the one who wanted ta come here!" said Baston, shining his flashlight around and seeing that the trio were surrounded by nothing but darkness "You're tha one who makes that rules, you're tha one who-!"

BOOM!

The three gave a shout as the door slammed behind them, not a sliver if the moon-light peeking through.

"What was that?!"

Felia ran to the space where the door once was but after a few moments of knocked, after a few moments of scratching-

"There-! IT'S-! IT'S GONE!"

"WHAT'S gone?"

"THA DOOR!" the female of the three cried out "Tha door is gone!"

"What do you mean the door issss gone?" Snake hissed in anger, shoving her out of the way "You PROBABLY can't ssssee it with how dark it issss! And you made me think catsss have GREAT night vis-!"

Snake shined his flashlight, turning it here, there, EVERYWHERE.

Not a door was to be found.

His heart began to pound, his scales began to shiver; how was this possible.

"There….th-th-there wasssss a door here! I know there wassss! It couldn't have just-!"

But it had; the door had COMPLETELY vanished from the sight of the three, leaving them at the mercy of the darkness with only their flashlights to guide them.

"Oh, this is not good! NOT GOOD!" said Baston, creeping next to Snake should anything try to latch onto him "We gotta get outta here, STAT!"

"Don't CROWD ME, idiot!" Snake growled as he shoved his own partner to the ground, his anger doing a great job at hiding his terror "Of COURSSSS I can get ussss out of here! I'm the only one SSSSMART enough to do ssssso!"

"THEN DO IT!" hissed Felia, the fur on her neck starting to rise "I don't wanna be here any longer than I hafta! An' if Wreck-It an' tha others find out-!"

"Ralph isssn't going to find out anything!"

"Yeah, cuz we'll be DEAD by tha time anyone finds us!"

"NO!" roared Snake, his voice echoing in the dark vaccum "We'll tell Ralph-!"

What was the lie going to be this time?

"We'll tell Ralph that we got lossst in thissss ssstupid little area, make it ssssound like it'ssss a danger to EVERYONE."

"Yeah, an' what is that gonna do?"

"If we play it up right…" the reptile continued "We might be able to convinccce Ralph an' Von Schweetzzzz to have this area condemned. Really kick that Orange-Brat out!"

Snake plan may have been a delight for him to dream up but his companions were far too scared to share his sentiments. Both wanted nothing more than to escape, dreading for their lives that their FINAL mistake had been made.

"Don't be cowardssss, we can handle thisssss…." Snake growled "Our gamessss are tougher than thissss sssso don't even-!"

A light.

Snake stopped in his tracks, seeing a tiny, orange light floating before him.

"Boss?" asked Baston "Boss, what is it?"

"SHUT UP."

Snake lowered his flashlight, allowing the light before him to illuminate brighter. At first, the creature wasn't sure what to make of the tiny apparition but it seemed to have a life of its own, tilting curiously as it looked at the three before it.

"What is that thing?" asked Felia.

"I…I don't know."

The three looked at the ball of light and much to their surprise a little ring came from it as it began to bounce around.

"It's…dancin'?"

The tiny light did indeed look as if it were moving about joyfully in front of the three, bouncing with a gleeful manner about it. The three loosened a bit but kept their best about them, Felia and Baston quickly going behind Snake in fear.

"It'ssss…it'sss a little bouncing….FLAME."

The flame squeaked and chirped as it continued to dance.

BUT THEN-

HALT.

The three jolted as the flame halted in place, as if it were looking dead center at the bunch.

"Wh-what's-?"

 _ **FWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH!**_

A great trail of FIRE shoot out at the three, barely giving them time to cover themselves as the flames barreled down the hall, all three feeling the searing heat on their backs. They tried to run but found that suddenly WALLS had appeared before them, flattening themselves against the panels as best they could.

"WHAT-?! THESSSSE WEREN'T HERE WHEN WE-!"

Their screams were drowned out by the massive ROAR of the flames but before they knew it, they had passed.

Snake panted in a panic, looking back towards the tiny ball of light.

"H-How-?!"

" _Eeeeeeeeeeeeeuuuuuuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrrrrrrk-kuk-kuk-kuk-kuk-kuk-kuk…."_

The chocking gurgle echoed off the walls, Snake and his team quickly turning to see that the ball of light was moving….

And it wasn't exactly as small as they thought.

"S-S-Snake?!"

" _Kuk-kuk-kuk-kuk"_ the unknown figure croaked out, loud thumps and shuffles heard around it.

"M-Move back! MOVE BACK!" cried Snake as he pushed the others out of the way but there was no escape.

The smell of burning cloth and smoke filled the air, Snake gagging as the scent hit his nose and filled his throat. The heat began to return as the light grew brighter, brighter, bright-!

And then-

Skin blistered, burned, and charred.

Singed clothing.

Milked over eyes with the burned remains of a pale scalp, the fire-bleached skull visible.

Footsteps catching aflame with each clumsy step they took.

"Kuk-kuk-kuk-kuk-kuk!"

The three shivered in terror as the horror approached them, the putrefied burnt corpse staggering closer and closer.

"SNAKE!" cried Felia "SNAAAAAAAAAAAAKE!"

"Keep back!" the creature called, waving the bat around "KEEP-!"

With one touch of its hand, the bat turned to ash, the smoldering bits dropping to the ground only to be burnt further as the fiery figure walked upon them.

"NO. WAY!"

There was a high-pitched squeal from the figure as it dropped its mouth open-

 _ **FWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH!**_

The trio shouted at the top of their lungs as they dashed away, the walls suddenly disappearing and allowing them to run but the ghastly fire ghoul was on their tails as slow as it was. It continued to blow fire towards the three, the panicked characters quite certain that it was getting closer and closer.

"Where'ssss the door?!" shouted Snake "WHERE'SSSS THE FREAKIN' DOOR!"

Suddenly there was a drop, the three falling down a slide but the fire creature did not accompany them.

"NO! NOOOOO!" shouted Baston, trying to stop himself but with metallic slide made it impossible to grab onto anything "I WANT OFF THIS RIDE! I WANT OFF-!"

 _ **BOOM!**_

"OOF!"

The three hit the ground, rolling into what felt like large sacks of flour, the white dust filling the air.

"Uuurgh, what was-!?"

Snake turned, seeing that the labels on the bag were indeed that of FLOUR. He gave a growl as he punched the sacks, kicking up MORE of a mess around and causing everyone to go into a coughing fit.

"Snake!"

"When I get my handsssss on that thing-!" the reptile growled, looking up to see if he could find a way back up the slide "I'll-!"

"You'll WHAT?!" snapped Felia "You were just as scared as both of us!"

"KEEP YOUR MOUTH CLAMPED, FURBALL!" Snake shouted towards the female feline "The lasssst thing I need isssss-!"

" _Looks like someone has come to plaaaaaay…"_

 _Oh no…._

Coldness ran down the skin of everyone around, the clank-clank-clank of metal dragging onto the ground.

"What shall we do with these three?"

"I do not know but let us see."

"H-Hello?" said Baston, as he got to his feet "Is someone th-?"

Snake punched the man back, sending him onto the ground.

"Idiot! Are you TRYING to give our sssspot away?!"

"Oh, there is no need to hit." Said the first voice.

"Don't go into a fit." Said the second voice.

"I don't have time for thissss!" cried Snake as he pointed a finger in the void "Sssshow yoursssslvessss now!"

"I due time."

"Everything will be fine."

"SSSSSTOP IT!" the Snake cried out again "You think this is a JOKE?! I'll-!"

The Snake's words were cut off as he felt the cold and heavy THUD of metal going around his neck. He yelped and jolted back but he found that he had no strength to go forward and was instead being pulled BACK into the darkness!

"SNAKE-OIL!"

"BOSS!"

And then Felia and Baston became strung up, the two fighting and writhing in fear as their bodies left the ground, only to be SLAMMED down upon tables. The room then lit up, revealing a TERRIFYING lab filled with all kinds of contraptions and tools!

Bloody, rusty, PAINFUL looking tools.

"OH! DIDN'T I TELL YA THIS WAS A BAD IDEA!"

"Look, dearest sister. We have caught us a fine bunch."

"Indeed. You said you did have a hunch."

"What'ssss going on?!" Snake fought but found himself so tightly strapped to the table that he couldn't move "What is thissss?! Who are you?!"

The lights flickered, revealing a massive figure from the shadows, its hunched body held backwards from the three.

"We're just curious, that is all."

"And we wanted to make sure you were okay after your fall."

"OKAY!?" gasped Baston "You're hurtin' is us more than that stupid fall!"

"Oh dear, that sounds bad."

"Oh my, how sad."

The tables then moved forward, large metallic domes coming from the ceiling and resting themselves on top of the 'patients' heads.

"In that case we may have to cut."

"And then we'll sew."

"Mend a few things. Make sure they work right and so!"

"Let us go, LET US GO!" wailed Felia as she watched the figure lurching forward, grabbing some sharp tools along the way.

"We shall start with the snake first."

"Yes, he looks the worst."

"M-M-ME?!" gulped Snake "N-No! NO! Get THEM! THEM!"

Felia and Baston looked horrified, their boss trying his best to aim his tail towards them.

"I-! I'm a major bosssss! If I end up missssing, it'll be bad for everyone in my game! Th-th-thesssse two?! H-Heh, they're mini baddiessss! They don't even COUNT assss-!"

"Don't you worry, you three." Said the first voice.

"Give us your trust."

"H-Has anyone wondered…." Baston said "W-Why there's only ONE BODY but TWO VOICES?!"

The lights flashed again but this time the figure came into full view and it was something that sent the three baddies into an even deeper world of fear.

As there stood before them was a TWO-HEADED hunchbacked scientist, the right side of its hair right, the left blue. The figure smirks at the three before it as both hands reached into its pockets and pulled out various tools and thread.

"With the right adjustments, YOU'LL BE LIKE US!"

The group didn't need any more clues to be given as to where this was heading and with a collective, glass shattering scream-

 _ **YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAURGH!**_

The three managed to burst from their bonds and jet out of the lab, running as fast as they could go. But where could one go in such a twisted maze? It seemed that with every inch the group took the area began to change around them, light going off and on, walls shrinking and growing; not a thing looked the same twice.

"W-Wasn't this just some ol' cart?!" panted Baston, looking back to see that the wall he had just passed now opened up "Wh-What is all'a this?!"

"It has to be a trick! It has to be a trick!" sobbed Felia, looking for any window to jump from but to her dismay there were NONE "I JUST WANNA GET OUT!"

"Sssstop crying and keep running!" their leader called out to them "Becausssse if you sssslow me down, I will- _ **BLAUGRGH!**_ "

Thankfully another wall had sprung up just in time to shut the reptile up, his body landing hard on the floor.

"Where are we?" Baston said, finally able to catch his breath.

Felia peered around, her body crotched down low but after a few moments….

"It…it looks like some kinda livin' room or something."

As the trio were able to settle their minds they found that the space they were now in did indeed look like a much calmer space, the room aligned with various pieces of fancy furniture and objects with a roaring fire burning in the fireplace.

"AH! FIRE! FIRE!" Baston cried out, grabbing a vase of flowers and dosing the light.

"What did ya do THAT for, stupid?!" Felia growled, smacking her companion on the head.

"After what happened ta us tha LAST time fire was involved-?!"

"Unnngh, there'ssss got to be a way out of here…" Snake said as he sat up, looking around "Maybe we can get out of through the chimmny."

"Hey, even with Dark Labs down there, there is no way I am climin' up a sooty chiminy!" huffed Felia, crossing her arms.

"Doessss it look like we have any other choice?!"

"You're the leader here, Mister Snake." The woman spat back "After all. WEEEE'RE just mini-bosses an' nothin' else. Remember?"

Caught with his own words, Snake quickly scrambled his words together.

"N-Now that wassss just part of my plan! I wassss trying to, uh, NEGOTIATE with that two-headed FREAK becausssse I knew he'd OBVIOUSLY go for a more PRIME piecccce of pixelssss and-!"

"Was THAT really your plan?" chirped a voice "Boy, if that's what you consider one of your BEST, I'd hate to see you at your WORST!"

"Come out and ssssay that to my FACE!" Snake growled, looking about "And I'll sssshow you-!"

But there was nothing.

Snake suddenly realized that he had called to a disembodied voice, the room locked with only he and his cohorts around.

"Pleasssse….not again."

The lights dimmed as the long scratch of a record echoed off the walls. A warbled melody sputtered from the old player and only added to the fear that was going through every pixels of those trapped inside.

"Who…who turned that thing on?"

Felia only shook her head, creeping as far away from the player as she could.

" _Isn't this song pretty?"_ the voice said from the record this time _"Maybe my music will help soothe you to rest."_

"Snaaaaake?"

There's no need to shiver.

No need to shake!

The books on the shelves began to quiver at the notes floating from the speaker of the player, the three able to see the bluish smoke slowly wafting from within the horn.

 _Just take a load off, take a break!_

The furniture began to shuffle around the three, their screams added to the sounds about them. Snake tried to run but his tail got caught under the leg of a chair, the pain making him yelp as he fell forwards but the voice continued to sing on, joyfully.

 _Be my guest here, please._

 _And soon you will find!_

 _We're all a bit loose here in the mind!_

"This cannot be happening!" Baston said, trying his all to swat back books but they flew at him like rabid bats, their paper innards slapping him against the fast "GWAAAAAUGH! STOP IT!"

"NYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" yowled Felia, the brooms hitting her repeatedly "No! No, please get them away!"

 _I've been so lonely here! So please don't go!_

 _I'll be your best friend!_

 _You can be part of my show!_

"Show?!" gasped Snake, looking around and seeing several mirrors attached high on the walls. For a moment, the only thing that showed were the reflections of the people and objects in the room but there was a high whine, a great flash warping over all of them as a faint figure appeared, looking back at all three of them.

"Oh, yes! My show!" the figure continued to sing "You see, he who comes here? NEVER LEAVES."

"N-N-Never leaves?"

The mirrors rustled and the record screeched, a echoy titter fiwlling before a melodic note once more filled the room.

"Coooome with me, and you will find! Being one the other side? You won't mind!"

"LET US OUT! LET US OOOOOOOOOOOUT!"

"Oh ho ho ho, not right now!" laughed the voice, the lights going dark "I'm not done with you yet!"

"Oh yessss, you are!" said Snake, ready to knock over a wall to get out "there is no way I'm going to die in thissss sssstupid-!"

Before another move could be made the rug rose under the feet of the three, knocking them over as the furniture toppled over. A chilling laugh filled the air as a door opened before them, a ghastly figure glowing brightly in the darkness.

"DON'T DISRESPECT ME, SCALY MAN!"

"W-What-!?"

"Don't you derogate or deride!"

"Someone help!"

"You're in my world now, not your world…." The figure continued as it moved closer to Snake, clutching his chin tightly with its sharp fingers "An' I've got friends on the other siiiiiiiide….."

" _She's got friends on the other siiiiiiiide!_

The three looked around, plaster bust echoing the sounds of their master before breaking out into high-pitched, insanity filled chortles. The trio were now TERRIFIED, bunching up together as the mistress of music floated in the air, her arms going out as the light poured from her fingertips, things levitating and spinning around!

"You're mine!" she cackled, her voice booming through the room " _ **AND WON'T A LOVELY BUNCH YOU WILL MAKE ME!"**_

Once more the only reply that could be given from the three was a scream and with an exit seen before them they wasted no time in tearing out of the room.

"When will this end, WHEN WILL THIS END?!" Felia cried out, sure she could hear the laughter of the ghostly mistress and to her dread, she was right. She turned and shouted again, the siren of sound flying a great speed after the bunch, her bust following them.

"Get them!" she cackled again "Get them! I need voices for my collection!"

"SNAAAAAAAAAAAAAKE!"

Snake was far too busy panicking to figure out where to go or what to do, his body slithering as fast as he could.

The trio continued to run, turning down the maddening maze of halls and doors until finally they reached another corridor and-!

Silence.

"Is-! Is she gone?!"

Baston was red in the face from running, unable to do anything but wheeze. After a few moments things were still, not a trace of anything to be found.

"O-Okay…" Snake swallowed, feeling as if he had screamed himself scaleless "Wh-When we get outta here, we are telling Von Schweetzzzz to-!"

 _ **KA-KA-BOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!**_

" _ **GYAAAAUGH!"**_

Thunder boomed in the room as a massive spark hit the floor a mere inch from where Snake stood, the creature tumbling back into the others.

"Nyeee, what was that I heard?"

"Dunno. Somethin' 'bout tearin' this place down?"

"Oh, that ain't gonna happen!"

Snake could only dread what was headed his way next and as he looked up-

One

Two

THREE.

Horns.

Fangs.

CLUBS.

Big, BIG CLUBS.

"Save us…"

Before the three on a high ledge stood a trio of demonic looking creatures, all peering down at the scared pile of pixels before them.

"What do we have here, sis?" spoke the first demon, her skin yellow with her right horn shorter than the left.

"Mmmm, looks like fresh MEAT." Said the second, a bluish crearture with a smaller left horn.

The middle monster, the biggest, greenest, and MEANEST looking of the bunch smirks down evilly, making very certain that her sharp teeth were seen.

Teeth sharp enough to go through snake scales like CHIPS.

"Heheh, they do look kinda tasty…" said the supposed leader "But I think we should save 'em for somethin' special!"

"S-S-Special?" shivered Baston "Please let that special thing be lettin' us go!"

The green demon rose up on her feet and lunged her club at the bunch, a great bolt of lightning shooting from its tip!

"YAAAAUGH!"

"Let's use 'em for TARGET PRACTICE!" cried the green leader, her sisters giving an approving roar as they leapt from their perches and gave chase.

"I-I don't know if I can run anymore!" said the winded Baston but Snake shoved him up on his feet.

"Well, you better becausssse I'm not carrying you! GO!"

Once more the chase had begun, the demons snarling and growling as they followed at the three on hands and feet. Every so often they would slam down their clubs, great burst of electricity shooting from them.

"ZARK!" shouted the little blue one, her sharp nails reaching out for Felia "CAT ON A HOT TIN FLOOR?"

"LET ME GO! LET ME GO!"

"Batter UUUUUP!" cried the green demon as she gave her large club a SWING and broke off a large portion of the wall.

It came crashing down on the three, burying them but thankfully a gap had provide a pocket for them and protected them from being CRUSHED.

"When will this end?!" Baston blubbered, tears flowing from his eyes like a baby.

"Don't you dare lock up on us now, ya fat-!"

 _ **BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!**_

The demon three were BUSTING the plaster above the three, laughing and howling with glee the more they destroyed.

"GET THE SNAKE! GET THE SNAKE!" cried the leader "I want his hide as a new belt!"

"Don't let them get me!" Snake yowled, curling himself into his coils "I'll give anything-! ANYTHING-!"

"Wait a moment!"

Baston began feeling around on the floor, find a door beneath him.

"I think I found a way out of here!"

"Well, just don't lay on it!" cried Snake "Get us out of here!"

"HAHAHAHAHAHHA!" laughed the demons above "Gonna skin us a snake! Fur us a cat! Get that man an' render his fat!"

"HURRY!"

Baston managed to pull the door open and quick as a flash the three crawled through, the demons above them still laughing with glee even after the others had escaped. They tumbled down a bit but to their surprise their landing was rather soft.

"Oof!"

"Oh! Oh…." Snake moaned, laying on his back "Are-? Are we outsssside?"

"Was there HAY outside?" Felia asked, grabbing a large clumpful in her hands.

The leader of the group looked about, the small glow of a lantern lighting the room to reveal some sort of stable room.

"We mussst have gotten outssssside now…" he said, though he was rather confused as to how. From the way things looked there was no way that they could have fell from an upper level as the area looked as if it were connected to nothing, black seen all around them.

"Either way, this is over." Said Baston "I'm not stayin' 'nother second in here, so help me-!"

There was a soft snort, the sound of hooves hitting the ground. In an instant the anger that Baston had managed to gather was blown away in the cold, cold wind. He slowly turned, finding that he and his friends were once again not alone….

"….Mommy."

There before him stood a massive horse, its skin jet black as a rotten candy corn horn rested atop its head. Black smoke poured from its nostrils as he grunted and neighed angrily.

And atop it?

A clocked figure, its face concealed in the darkness of its shroud.

"Should we run?" asked Felia.

Baston nodded "RUN."

And indeed they did.

The figure gave a battle cry as the horse rose up on its hind legs and took after the three, its hooves hitting the ground hard and making the earth shake.

"I swear if I get outta this!" said Felia "No more mice for midnight snakes! No more makin' fun of dog characters! No more-! NYARGH!"

There was a cold swipe as the feline felt something flash against her whiskers, the very tips of them falling off. She looked back with giant eyes to see the hooded figure holding a SHARP and DEADLY sword.

"It has a WEAPON?! Isn't the freaky lookin' DEVIL HORSE enough?!"

The figure gave another slash of its sword as the gate behind the three slowly slide down, cut cleanly in two.

"Let's go, let's go, LET'S GO!"

The chase continued, the three crying out for their dear pixels as the hooded horseman followed them closely, the hoof beats feeling as if they were only inches away.

"UUURGH! ENOUGH!" Snake shouted, sick of being chased "I have had ENOUGH of thisssss!"

Gathering what energy he had, Snake saw a ledge coming up. He then leapt up and took a hold of it, swing back-!

"HA-HAAAAAAAA!"

And hitting the hooded figure in its face. The horse neighed loudly as its rider fell from under it and galloped away into the dark void but there was a loud THUNK-!

THUNK!

And something from within the hood seemed to bounce from the wall and ROLL to the feet of the trio.

Felia looked down at the mass in its hat, hands clutching her mouth.

"Is that-? IS THAT-!?"

The round object finally made a stop at the feet of the three, revealing itself…..

AS A HEAD!

"SWEET BURNIN' BYTES!" cried Baston "How-!?"

The head rocked back and forth but came to a sharp stop, it's eyes opening as it stared back at the three.

"OH MY."

They screamed, each jumping into each other's arms.

"I've-I've-I've-I've-I've SEEM to have LOST MY HEAD." Said the figure, its eyes then darting towards its targets "CAN I HAVE YOURS?!"

The neigh of the horse sounded again, the group turning around to see that it had returned and looked as evil and as angry as ever but that was not the worst of it. The body of the headless figure had risen again, walking without pause, without a single slide in its step towards the group….

With its sword ready to slice.

A single finger was pointed towards the group as the figure marched towards them.

"No, no, no!"

Yes, yes, yes.

"NO, NO, NO!"

YES, YES, YES!

The group tumbled among themselves as they tore off in another direction, looking back to see that the horseman, or this case LADY, had taken her place back on the saddle and was gunning for the group, her decapitated head held in her hands as she cackled loudly.

"I need more for my collection! More heads to feel WHOLE!"

"My head is NOT on loan, lady!" Snake spat out but this time he was too scared to look back.

The horsewoman laughed once more, taking her braid and using it as a swing to hurl the head towards the bunch. They made the mistake to glance back, seeing the sneering and glowing object sailing towards them.

 _ **AHAHAHAH! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAA!**_

"A DOOR!"

For the first time since the nightmare had begun the sight of a DOOR was something to rejoice over. Throwing all caution, and common sense, out the figurative door the three took a dive through the opening, Snake making sure to take the nob and SHUT IT hard behind him. They could still hear the neigh of the horse but its hooves seemed to turn in the opposite direction, the sound fading into the blackness of the night.

"Is…is it over?" quivered Felia, certain she was down to her LAST life.

Snake was speechless, his mind trying as hard as it could to string together what exactly was happening. He was certain that he and the others had gone into a cart; a simple wooden cart. But now it seemed that they had entered the very pits of their nightmare, a haunted house of horrors unlike any seen in even the scariest of games.

Were they still in Sugar Rush or had the three opened the gateways to gaming hell?

"D-D-Don't' worry, everyone." The leader of the three gulped "I'll get usss out of here. N-N-No problem at all! No problem…."

After everything that had happened, Baston and Felia were now uncertain that their leader could live up to his promises and after his comment in the labs?

"Ooooh, wat's the matter?"

Not again.

Not another voice.

"Hehehe, things were just starting to get fun around here."

The cackle continued around the trio, the area before them feeling as if it were spreading out. Snake hissed, rising to a stand as he pointed aimlessly towards the source of the voice.

"Whoever you are! WHATEVER you are! I am not SSSSSCARE of you!"

"Oh yeah?" mocked the voice "Hmph. From the way I see you shake and shiver, from the way I hear those teeth chatter. I do believe, my fine man, that you are SCAAAAAAARED."

"Come on out!" the reptile baddie threatened, sreaming at nothing but air "Come on out sssso I can faccce you! What coward hidesssss behnd ssssmoke and mirrorsssss! What coward sssssendsssss his minons after anyone!"

"Heh, I'm sure you know all about thaaaaaat….."

A spotlight suddenly appeared a yard away from the group, smoke rising from the ground and with a FLASH and POOF.

"KEK-KAAAAAAAAH!"

A dapper dressed figures appeared before all, his purple suit glistening like foil paper on a fresh Halloween chocolate, his black licorice velvet cape flowing behind him. A marble sugar-candy specter was held in his hand and-?

His head?

" **BOO."**

A JACK-O-LANTERN.

"W-What isssss this?" shook snake, the figure swaggering over towards the characters "What is this place?!"

"Why-!" chuckled the figure "You're in the very HEART of it all! The CENTER of scary! The CAPITOL of CREEPINESS! THIS-!"

The figure slid back on his shoes, twirling around as the light around him bloomed!

"Is the very pit of which NIGHTMARES are made!"

The room then became alight with creatures, many of which the group had haplessly run into previously. The demons, the fire monster, the siren and the horsewoman! Even the conjoined scientist was there, all ready and waiting for their signals to launch.

"Don't use them up just yet." The Pumpkin Master said, putting out a hand "They still have so much more to see! So many more guest!"

"Forget this!" said Baston as he got up and began to look for the nearest exit "Call me a coward all you want but I'm not-!"

A flash appeared before the man as a sickly figure fell before him, nearly causing him to trip.

"What the-?!"

"Oooooh…."

"Wh-what-?"

The figure staggered on its feet, long damp hair hanging in front of its face.

"M-M-Mister…."

Baston said not a word but he was held firmly in place by his fear. The tiny figure looked up, cold and void eyes peering right at the man but that wasn't the worst of it.

From one ear to another.

A long, gaping cut.

Blood dripping down and down.

"Do you think….I AM PRETTY?"

Baston screamed, failing on his behind to get up but he kept tripping over in fear. The tiny figure lurched closer and closer, its jaw dropping down into a gruesome smile as it grabbed ahold of the man's leg, holding it tight.

"AM I-?! PREEEEEEEETY?!"

"NO! NO, DON'T KILL ME!" Baston shrieked, the monster pulling him back, the damp feeling of water and blood rubbing against the skin of his legs "NO!"

The figure's tongue lapped out of her mouth as she gave a shout, her jaw so low that Baston could see the back of her throat. She let go of the man but lunged for him, a hollow gurgle bubbling in her throat.

"She just wants to know…." Said the Pumpkin Master "Do you think she's pretty? Better say the right thing or else? YOU'RE blood will soon be on the floor."

"Baston, wait!" called Snake "Don't let this fool'ssss tricksssss sssssscare you!"

"Fool? FOOL?"

The three turned, the Master sitting upon his high thrown with such an air of calm about him despite all the chaos that was happening below.

"You are the fools who thought to come to my Kingdom looking for control! In Boo Town, I make the rules! You are just along for the ride!"

The slit-mouth girl threw herself upon Snake, nearly knocking him over as she crawled on her stomach towards him.

"SSSSTOP THISSSS! I AM NOT-!"

A darkness befell the group as mist rose around them, trapping them by all sides.

"Oh, that is not a good sign my friend…." Chuckled the master as he and his hoard hooped and hollered from their seats "Looks to me that someone's been a baaaaaaad snake."

"Rrrrgh! You think ssssome SMOKE is going to sssscare me?!" Snake barked "I can eassssily-!"

But as Snake tried to move he found that he could no longer move. He fought, he pulled but something had grabbed his legs.

"Let-!"

And then that same 'something' took ahold of his arms, pulling him down towards the ground. Felia and Baston gave a cry as they too feel forward, chins hitting the ground hard as the black smoke stung their eyes and nose. Snake tried to look around but all he could see was the glowing glow of yellow teeth, the empty eyes of a creature that had no figure….

"I want more…."

But had plenty of strength to take ahold of the large characters.

"N-No!" gasped the reptile "NO!"

Mumbled words were spoken, the syllables coming out so cluttered from the creature's throat but as it moved closer the clearer its teeth became!

"My collection, my collection, MY COLLECTION!" the creature said, the mist picking the three up "Hehehe! I love the naughty ones! Naughty little children from me to take!"

"SNAKE! HELP US!" sobbed Felia but the more Snake fought, the more he found he could not move!

"H-How-?! How is this possssibl- _ **AUUUUUUUUUUUURGH!"**_

The smoke monster HURLED the three further back, its body spinning around and around.

"Hmm, seems to me that it still wants to play…" said the Master "And that's a good thing. Some of my PETS need to have some fun?"

"P-Pets?"

 _ **BA-WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!**_

From the side of the room came a bloodthirsty howl, yellow eyes showing through the darkness.

"Hey boy!" called the Master, whistling "Play good now!"

Out of the shadows came a snarling, HUNGRY wolf, claws out and ready to tear into the flesh of the 'prisoners'.

Felia yowled as she jumped up and dug her claws into a wall but even then she was not safe.

"D-D-D-D-Dogs! Any dogs, I hate them!"

" _ **GWOOOORGH!"**_

Of course it couldn't have ended so easily.

The feminine feline looked to the side, only to see two white-furred figures glare at her from the rafters.

"Oh….HO."

" _ **BWAUUUURGH!"**_

The cat gave a cry as she let go, tumbling down the walls only to have the creatures fall after her and land heavily on the ground.

"Met my yetis…." Said Pumpkin Master "They haven't had a good chase in years and it seems that they've REALLY attached themselves to you!"

The larger of the two beasties pounded its hands on the ground, nearly cracking it underneath.

"Dearie me, it seems that I have made a mistake. They're not ATTACHED to you. They seem more…HUNGERED by you!"

Hunger?

Not good.

The two snow beasties grunted towards each other as they gave chase after the feline, Baston and Snake watching on.

"Stop! Stop! Isn't this enough?!" cried Baston, his arms waving around.

"Enough? But you haven't met my mongoose yet!"

"M-Mongoose?"

From the opposite side of the room dashed the bloodied form of an ENORMOUS and vicious mongoose, claws like daggers and fangs nearly a foot long. The speed it showed was unimaginable, the creature snarling like mad as it leapt upon Snake and began to tear into his shirt.

"AAAUUUUUURGH! AUUUUUUUUUURGH! GET IT OFF ME! GET IT OFF!"

Baston and Felia attempted to help their leader but the werewolf went after them instead, leaving the Snake at the mercy of the mongoose and his worst nightmare.

Remember: Snakes and Mongooses never get along.

Snake tried to tear himself free but the mongoose was just too powerful, its jaws clamped down upon his clothing as it began to throw him in the death spiral, a sure sign that the end was coming. Soon, all the monsters jumped into the fight, the collection of creatures giving chase to the three introducers.

Fire, lightening, claws, and various other things were flying about and striking the three until finally-!

"All here ready to play…" said the Master, seeing that the three bosses were rounded up in the middle of the arena "And I have saved the best for last."

Snake frowned at the master, refusing to let such a person capture him "Y-You think you're sssso sssslick! I-I know you can't beat me, not with THESSSSSSE monstersssss!"

"Snake, shut up!" pleaded Felia "Before he-!"

"I-I know thissss SSSSTUPID game!" the Snake continued, listening not to a word his fellow baddie had to say "Thisss-?! S-S-Ssssugar Rush?! It'ssss NOTHING! Nothing but a SSSSTUPID kidssss' game and nothing more!"

"Snake!"

"Th-thessssse monssssterssss?! They-! They don't sssscare me! Nothing doesssss!"

The reptile smirked as he looked at the creatures moaning and groaning before him, wiping his mouth os sweat.

"Th-there are better gamessss, sssstronger gamesssss in thissss dump than thissss place!" the man continued "Th-the only thing worth it?! Gettin' that lil princesssss here ta let me have fun! If she didn't-!"

"Snake!"

"If she didn't have that glitch-!"

"SNAKE, SHUT UP!"

"It seems you are far too stressed out…" said the Master as he walked up to the man, so cool and content even in the presence of monsters "But I think I know what to do to lighten your spirits!"

"Don't come near me!"

"Don't be like that. I am a FRIEND!" Master chirped, standing on his tip-toes "And I have JUST the present for you!"

The ground shook, the low hum of something mechanical rising from the ground.

"I must say, that I have been watching you for a while…." Master continued, the tone of his voice dropping from that of a spritely spirit to that of a demonic devil "And I know the creature you thirst for."

The three baddies could see a cage rising from the ground, smoke pouring from it but there was something inside, something wild and ANGRY.

Even after being attacked by the giant mongoose monster, there was something about the creature in the cage that signaled to the reptile that things had finally hit their highest, that things had FINALLY gone belly up.

"I have heard you plead for a virus, to see one up close…."

"N-No…."

"And for that, I will grant your wish!"

"NO!"

"SNAKE-OIL!" boomed the Pumpkin Master, the smile on his Jack-O-Lantern head growing more twisted and contorted "I HAVE THE VERY CREATURE OF WHICH YOU SEEK! THE CREATURE OF FABLED LORE THAT YOU HAVE WISHED FOR!"

"NO! NO!" screamed Snake "LET ME OUT OF HERE! LET ME-!"

The vicious barks and snarls from the cage rang through the room, the smoke clearing to reveal-!

Black claws!

Sharp teeth!

Sickle green hair with sparking cracks in its skin!

 **A VIRUS!**

Snake cried out again, the walls of the room suddenly appearing and rushing he and the others towards the front of the cage.

"Here he is!" laughed Master "He is YOURS!"

" _ **NO!"**_

" _ **YOU WANTED A VIRUS!"**_ laughed the pumpkin monster _**"THEN HERE HE IS!"**_

There was a sharp squeal of metal as the cage broke apart, the virus free. It gave a rabid shriek as it began gunning for the three, the other monsters parting away to give the perfect runaway.

And Snake?

Just one second.

Just two.

 _ **YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAURGH!**_

There had never been such a scream heard in the arcade, the reptile feeling as if his body had finally grown legs and just as the virus came within an INCH of his scales-

" _ **HELP MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"**_

* * *

"So Gloyd doesn't have a home?" Ralph said, his voice coming out dry "Ya mean ta tell me…that cart? That's where he lives?!"

"Ralph, you're mixin' it up…" Vanellope said in a glum manner, slouching on her throne "Yeah, tha cart was tha Orangeboars' home but…but it's not like ya think, okay?"

"Yeah, it's not like I think because ya haven't given me a good idea of it, kid." The man answered back, slightly peeved which didn't help in Vanellope's attitude either.

"Uuurgh! Look, it's-! It's like a magic box, 'kay! Somethin' even I don't understand!"

The girl began moving her little hands about to form a box but she made the surface jump and wave back.

"It was always changin', always morphin' an' stuff. Ya could come in one way but then end up in a totally different room!"

"That actually sounds-"

Everyone turned to Calhoun, the woman thinking hard with a hand to her chin. A childlike grin began to appear on her face as she looked up towards the others.

"That actually sounds….kinda neat."

Vanellope looked non-pulsed, AMAZED that Calhoun of all people seemed to enjoy the idea of Gloyd's house.

"Aw man, you too Sarge?!"

"What? What's so wrong with that?" the woman asked as she shrugged "I like mazes, okay? An' from tha sound'a things Gloyd's home really fits him."

"I guesssss…." Vanellope moaned, trying her best not to look too upset "I mean….I should be happy that he got his home back, but…."

"But what, kid?" Ralph asked, the worry returning.

Vanellope just couldn't say it even as it festered at the back of her mind. All of things, all of these incidents happening at once? It couldn't have just been some sort of happy accident; there had to be some sort of reason behind it and as she continued to worry she kenw SHE was going to be caught in the middle of it.

"I…."

 _YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAURGH!_

The girl meeped and glitched, nearly falling off the throne in the process.

"Who in tha world is THAT?" asked Calhoun as the screams got closer. The door then sounded with frantic pounding, the screaming continuing.

"PRESIDENT! PRESIDENT!"

"H-Hold on!" Vanellope shouted as she glitched to the door, Ralph missing her by a second.

"Don't go out there alone!"

Vanellope reached the door before the others, opening just as Snake and his group came BOUNDING in!

"WHOA!"

"MONSTERS! DEMONS! VIRUSES!"

"Hey, hold on!" Calhoun said as she looked down at the trio, all of them sprawled in exhaustion and panic on the ground "What was this about VIRUSES?!"

"B-B-B-B-Back in B-B-B-Boo Town!" Snake tries to say but his words were failing him, tumbling off his tongue.

"SPIT IT OUT!"

"There's somethin' happenin' in Boo Town!" Felia shrieked as she grabbed onto the caprpet, her claws digging into it.

"Hey! Don't mess this up!" Vanellope said as she plucked the cat's claws off the floor.

"An' speakin'a that, what in tha arcade were ya guys doing in Boo Town SO LATE?" asked Felix, putting his hands on his hips.

"DOESSSS THAT MATTER NOW?!" cried Snake, looking more frightened than ever as he peered out the window, ensuring that he and the others were not followed "Does it matter at all?! We're-! DONE FOR! THE ENTIRE GAME IS HAUNTED! WE'RE-!"

"WE'RE-"

The group turned, Ralph standing tall and calm among them "We're….gonna check an' see what's really goin'on."

"NO, DON'T!" said Baston.

"Tha Fire Monster will get you!" pleaded Felia.

"Fire monster?"

"Or tha two yetis!"

"Or tha girl with tha long mouth!"

The four heroes exchanged looks, the chorus of madness spiraling from the three baddies becoming more and more nonsensical with each passing second and with that they knew what they had to do.

Boo Town it was.

The hike didn't take long but in the night the road seemed to stretch further than usual.

"Somethin' tells me…." Calhoun began "Those guys got spooked doin' somethin' they shouldn't have."

"Hmmmm."

"I don't wanna cast too much doubt on 'em just yet, Tammy." Said Felix "Whatever got 'em spooked 'em real good so we should still have our guards up."

"Is there anythin' THAT scary here?" asked Ralph, Vanellope trying her best to hide her own fear.

"I-In Boo Town? Naaaaah!" the girl said with a forced chuckle "I-In fact, sometimes I would find tha guys stuck outside tha gates, too scared ta go in themselves an' THEN I would-!"

"An' then-!" said a voice a close distance away "Tha red smelly man LEAPT from tha pile'a bricks, roarin' out! _**BWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAR!"**_

The shrieks of children were heard, a faint glow of red flickering through the leaves.

"Did that sound like-?"

The heroes parted the bush, finding the other racers sitting outside Gloyd's cart, the bpy leading the others to a campfire tale as they munch on s'mores and hot coco.

"Then what happened?" asked Lumi.

"Tha brave lil candy people? They knew how ta beat back tha beast!" smiled the pumpkin racer "All they needed was-!"

The others gathered closer, their eyes wide.

"SOAP!"

Gloyd threw his arms up in the air, millions of bubbles flying from his sleeves as they burst into tiny fireworks, the kids amazed by the trick.

"Ey, wait a moment." Ralph frowned "Smelly man? Bricks? Those guys are talkin' bout me?"

"An' it took ya HOW LONG ta figure that out?" sniffed Calhoun.

"Guys!"

Vanellope glitched through the leaves but she stopped short of getting too close to the others, everyone going silent as the fire roared on.

Things were once again turning awkward.

After a moment, Taffyta cleared her throat "Well, fancy seein' ya here, Von Schweetz."

The other girl frowned slightly, Taffyta's tone already grating her nerves.

"Um, 'scuse me for bargin' in…." coughed Vanellope "but…but what are ya guys doin'?"

"Just havin' a camp out." Taffyta said tartly "what's it look like?"

"A camp out, eh? I guess that's good."

"Ya GUESS?"

The vanilla racer nodded, twisting the end of her ponytail in her hair "Yeah, I guess. But somethin' funny just happened."

Gloyd crossed his arms, giving Vanellope a look "Oh? It must have been somethin' big ta bring ya all tha way out here."

"Yeah, Gloyd. It KINDA was." The girl snapped back "I just had Snake an' some of his buddies rushin' tha gates an' goin' on 'bout some monsters chasin' 'em. Know anythin' bout that?"

The other racers looked at each other but their expressions showed not a bit of concern to Vanellope's question, even as the other adults approached them.

"We've been here all night." Gloyd smiled "If anythin' had shown up, we SURE wudda told ya, PRESIDENT."

Vanellope knew the words coming from the boy were lies but she just couldn't find the energy to zap him back with one of her usual quips, not with how exhausted she was feeling towards the group.

And the look Lumi was giving her.

Lumi once more sat near Candlehead and Taffyta, the boy huddled in the middle of them and shooting Vanellope the most bitter of stares. Anyone could easily tell that he did not want her to be anywhere near the group and if questions were asked, he surly wasn't going to tell.

"Look Von Schweetz…"

Vanellope turned her focus back on Taffyta, the girl taking a bite out of her s'mores.

"We just needed ta get away from things." The strawberry racer quipped "We know we're not welcomed 'round your entourage so we figured that if we got away, we wouldn't bother ya. Or are things SO BORIN' up there in your ivory castle that ya had ta make up stories ta bring your butt down here?"

"Hey, kid." Felix moaned "I know it may not seem like it, but we were worried okay? So just ease up with those sentiments."

"Alright, Mr. Felix. I will." Taffyta nodded "But what did Snake say he saw back here again?"

Vanellope's brow arched, her trust in Taffyta as low as ever.

"Somethin' 'bout monsters. An' viruses…." The candy President said before glancing back at Lumi "Ya anythin' 'bout that? It nearly sent him out of his skin."

Lumi gave a toothy grin and didn't flinch an inch "Snake's a brave guy. Why in tha arcade would he let a VIRUS bother him?"

It was obvious that answers weren't going to come, no matter what Vanellope did and despite her own anger…

She DIDN'T want to do anything.

She knew something had happened, she knew the other racers had had a part in it, but she didn't know what. All she knew she was tired and she wanted things to reset when she woke up.

"Nelly?"

Ralph looked down at the girl, Vanellope spinning on her feet as she marched her way back down the path.

"Hey, where're ya goin'?"

"There's nothin' for us ta see here, Stink-Breath." The girl said in a huff "All tha monsters are done for tha night anyway."


	19. Chapter Eighteen– Bake the Kart

Chapter Eighteen– Bake the Kart

A welcomed calm had come upon Sugar Rush in the days following Gloyd's story being rediscovered, partly thanks to a few characters being far too scared to step foot back down the rainbow bridge. For the collection of racers, it was wonderful as the jeering crowds had begun to thin out and their minds were now allowed to rest, even if there were still a few spectators around shouting their disapproval of them.

It may have just been a small change, but Vanellope could see it; the racers were HAPPIER.

But why wasn't _**SHE**_ happier?

As it turned out Vanellope was not the only candy child feeling restless and frustrated and had the candy President who shared her feelings…

"Now what?"

She would have quickly denied the facts.

Lumi sat alone, close enough to see the track but far enough as not to be spotted by the players. He could see and hear the zooming of the other karts as they flew down the tracks, feel and smell the hot sweets which only made his heart pound and his skin prickle over.

He could only sit, watching the others enjoy themselves as he clutched onto what little memories he had of his own races, memories that no one could recall and no one wanted to believe. Even if Gloyd's cart and home had been found, the discovery of the pictures had only dragged the boy down. They served as a major clue but it was a clue _**HE**_ was missing from.

In the days that Sargent Calhoun had taken them to be scanned, all they could find were traces of missing code though none of it seemed to lead back to Lumi. As it stood he was back at square one again, a racer without a home and one without a clue if anything would appear to him.

All he had was that scrap of paper, the tiny bit with his face and symbol on it but it just wasn't enough for the arcade. He was lucky enough that the other racers believed him but until Vanellope did something, until she said her word, no one was going to believe THEM or HIM.

He was stuck.

And he wanted out.

The sound of the cheering crowd rose from the distance, the boy rushing to the track to catch who had won for the day.

"Guessing from the way people aren't booin'…." He said to himself, a little laugh escaping his chest "I can bet Miss Von Snivel won."

Indeed Vanellope had taken the first place cup but the others didn't pay it any mind, Lumi seeing the groups once more separated between Vanellope and her friends and the racers celebrating themselves.

But there was something different this time.

"Wow, that was AMAZING Miss Muttonfudge!"

It was an outsider. No, not just ONE. SEVERAL!

Lumi stepped out of his hiding place and carefully made his way through the crowd, surprised to see that unlike previous times there were outsiders who were now CELEBRATING the other racers, even if they did not take the first place.

"Gee, thanks." Taffyta said, her smile genuine "Just a second to first but-! Aurgh! Didn't make it!"

"I didn't care 'bout that!" said the character, a little thing that looked like it belonged in some sea game "It was just so cool seein' ya drive like that! I've always loved your skills!"

Taffyta seemed surprised by the comment "Really?"

"Yup!" nodded the sea creature but she looked away sheepishly, as if she were embarrassed about something "I guess ya would have seen me more often. But I kinda felt like I couldn't cheer on who I wanted."

"Why did ya feel that way?" asked Candlehead curiously.

"It was that big snake guy an' those others." Said the sea creature "Whenever I tried showing my support, they always told me to be quiet, that if I cheered for anyone but Vanellope it was doin' something _**BAD**_."

As if the others needed any more confirmation that Snake was making things miserable for _**EVERYONE**_ in the game. Not even visitors to the game could enjoy the races without being shut down.

"For a while, I just stopped going." Said the sea creature "It sounds stupid, I know. But I didn't wanna cause any upset."

"Oh no! Don't do that!" Candlehead said but she realized something, smiling once more "Oh. Well, I guess ya HAVEN'T since you're back!"

"An' I glad that I _**DID**_ come back!" The sea girl laughed "This was AMAZING! The races just keep gettin' better and better!"

Even from where he stood, Lumi could see something go off in Taffyta's mind, her expression softening and the blush on her cheeks growing even redder. She tried to maintain her snooty air but there was too much glow, too much happiness.

"Th-thank you." she said, her voice so chipper that the creature laughed, patting her shoulder.

"Just keep racin', girlie! Just keep racin'!"

Vanellope turned around and watched the conversation, a little surprised that Taffyta was being treated in such a way and acting so humble even if she won second. She was so used to the strawberry racer being mad, being jealous but then she realized something herself.

The crowds, the noise; it was all sweeter, calmer.

And that was because one 'IMPORTANT' figure was not around.

The crowds than cleared off, Lumi rejoining the others.

"Great drivin', guys!" the boy beamed as he grinned at the others "Ya went so fast-! CHYOOOOOOOOON! I didn't know if a rocket had gone by!"

"Awww, thanks Lumi!" Candlehead smiled, her friendliness always welcome.

"Heh, we do our best." Taffyta said, returning to her snarky mode as she brushed her fingers through her hair "But YOU on the other hand-."

Lumi arched a brow, titling his head towards the girl "Yeaaaah?"

"We need ya ta get ya somethin' ta do." The strawberry girl quipped, leading the boy away "Fishin' is all well an' good but ya mope 'round too much! Hide too much."

"Ya know, I have a reason WHY I do that." The boy huffed "If it weren't for Snake an' everyone else-!"

"Don't worry 'bout Snake-Farts." Taffyta chuckled to herself, she and the other racers leaving the track "After tha way he shed his scales in Boo Town, I don't think we'll hafta worry 'bout him for a while."

" _ **FOR A WHILE.**_ " Said Nougetsia "He'll strike again. Just don't know when, but we should still be careful. Who knows what's he gonna plan after the way we humiliated-!"

" _SHHHH_ _ **!"**_

Nougetsia turned, Taffyta shaking her head as a finger was placed to her lips.

Too close, Nougie. Way too close.

"C'mon guys." Taffyta recovered quickly "We have tha day off tomorrow so let's get some things planned."

"What kinda plans?" asked Candlehead, Taffyta patting Lumi on the back.

"Let's just say we're gonna need an extra set of wheels."

* * *

"What do you mean Felia doessssn't want to come out?!"

Snake stood at the entrance of a game but a LARGE male cat stopped him from going any further. The deep-purple fur of the feline was only accented by the ANGRY yellow eyes that went right through Snake, the big fellow not at all happy to see the creature.

"Don't play innocent with me, BUB." Said the large cat "After what ya put my sister through in Sugar Rush-?"

"But she didn't get HURT!" Snake shot back, hissing loudly and bearing his fangs but the cat did not move "I brought her back ssssafe and ssssound and if you're going to blame ANYONE for what happened, blame thosssse candy BR-ARRRK!"

A LARGE paw gripped Snake around his neck like a vice, bringing the reptile closer.

""Mini-Bosses don't matter'?"

Snake tried to claw his way free but the cat stood as solid as stone, claws slowly coming out as Snake's soft under flesh bent beneath his scales.

"They're easy to get?" said the cat "Ya know, I had some bad feelin's about ya the MOMENT ya tried ta schmooze my sister…"

"I-! BLURK!"

Snake tried to take in air but the cat was too strong, too rough. He began turning blue, eyes slowly rolling back.

"I didn't mean-!"

"TOM!"

Was that his name?

Tom turned back, Felia standing at the entrance with her arms crossed and her feet tapping the ground. Snake smiled in relief as he was certain help had finally arrived!

"F-FELIA!" she cried out, reaching for the cat "Th-Thank goodnessssss you're-!"

"What are you doin' here, SNAKE?"

The moment Snake heard the cat's tone his hope DROPPED like a stone. Not only was she giving him a look of DEATH, just by her body language he could tell that she did not want him around.

"F-F-Felia! I-!"

The woman scowled, ears going back as she glared at her former 'friend'.

"I just wanted to tell you-! I-I'm ssssorr-!"

"SORRY?" The girl cut in "Isn't gonna cut it this time, BUCKO."

"BUT FELIA-!"

"You were gonna leave me an' Baston to tha MONSTERS!" the female cat screeched, her brother keeping hold of Snake "Tha moment ya found a way out, ya were just gonna run! Ya were just gonna leave us!"

"You know thosssse monssssters were just thossse BRATS!" Snake choked "It was Muttonflub! That virusss! That-!"

"An' how long did it take ya ta figure THAT out?!" Felia hissed "It was bad enough we got humiliated like that but-! You-!"

Felia had had enough, her fur puffing out before turning back and walking into the game.

"Tom?"

"Yeah, sis?"

"Make sure ya take out tha TRASH."

Tom turned back towards Snake, his free knuckle cracking LOUDLY.

"With pleasure."

This wasn't going to be good.

* * *

"There's gotta be somethin' I can do ta clear this up." Vanellope mumbled to herself as she gloomily walked through the station, the adults following her.

"Ya just need a rbeak." Said Felix, all smiles as always "A lil trip ta Tap's an thin's should be-!"

 **KA-POW!**

 _ **AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAURGH!**_

A scream echoed through the station, all looking up to see a long body FLYING through the air moments before landing perfectly in a trash bin.

"OH!"

"Holy-!"

10 points!

The bin rolled over on its side, a long tail sticking out as the occupant inside moaned painfully.

"At leassst I landed in ssssomething ssssoft?"

"Snake!"

Ralph and Vanellope rushed over to the can, heling the creature out as he lay sprawled and battered on the floor.

"Oh goodness, what happened ta 'em?!" Felix gasped in worried.

"Snake? Snake!" Vanellope called out as she shook the creature on his shoulders, worried that he had spoken his last "C'mon man, answer us!"

"M'head hurtssss. Issss that good enough?"

"Wow, what happened man?" asked Ralph as he set his fellow baddie up.

"Jussst….jusssst a little missssundersssstanding it ssssemssss…." The snake managed to say, a fang falling from his mouth.

"Uh, Felix?"

"I'm on it…" the repairman sighed, hitting the character with his hammer to restore him.

"Uh, Snakey?" Vanellope said "I'm not used ta ya FLYIN' 'bout so mind tellin' us what happened?"

In the past Snake may have been quick to to tell Vanellope and Ralph of any incident that had befallen on him, knowing well that he would reap the benefits of being backed up by two of the arcade's most worshipped heroes but this time?

There was something about having the chili-cheese stuffing handed to you by your fellow bad guys that made the situation WORSE the more Snake thought about it.

"It issss nothing, Pressssident." The Snake said, the lie easily detected through his fangs "Jussst ssssome rough-housssser, that is all."

Calhoun looked back, remembering the way Snake had come before making his crash landing. She could recognize the two mini-bosses at the front of the game and by the way they were moving she knew something bitter had happened and Snake was the one who provided the source. Nonetheless, she couldn't let herself be smug in the moment, no matter how much she knew Snake had gotten a well-deserved taste of his own medicine.

"In that case…." The marine began "Perhaps WE should be a little more careful here. Tha last thing we need ta happen are a buncha brawls."

Snake knew that Calhoun hadn't taken his words seriously, his face scrunched into an acidic frown.

"Is there anythin' we can do for ya?" asked Vanellope, of course wanting to help her friend.

"No, no…." the creature said, wanting to avoid any more humiliation than he had already gotten "Just being in your presssensssse is more than enough to brighten whatever vitrol comessss my way."

" _Oh gimmie a break."_ Calhoun groaned under her breath as she rolled her eyes, Felix jabbing her in the side.

"What I do want to know though…." Snake said, quickly changing the subject "Issss if YOU are alright."

Vanellope looked confused, Snake's turn surprising her "If I'M alright?"

"I appologizzzze for not appearing for the passst few dayssss…." The Snake said, the pretentious concern thick "I'm SSSSURE thosssse placccceholderssss have been making it difficult for you without the _**PROPER**_ ssssupervissssion."

"If ya gotta know, SNAKE." Calhoun snapped without thinking, taking a heavy step towards the baddie "Things have been-!"

"Things…"

Everyone looked down, Vanellope putting her hands behind her back.

"Tha guys-?"

"Yesssss?"

Vanellope gulped, feeling surrounded "Tha guys have…have actually been havin' a lotta fun."

While some of the adults felt relief at hearing the news, OTHERS were not so sure.

"Really?" Asked Ralph, surprised by the news "They haven't been botherin' ya or anythin'?"

Vanellope shook her head, biting her lip "Ralph, they've just been goin' out on their own. Which is-?"

"Yeah, kid?"

The racer twiddled her thumbs, blushing "It's….okay?"

"Just okay?" Ralph asked again, not sure if he were too keen on the idea of the other racers suddenly turning over a new leaf as Vanellope was suggesting.

"Ralph, back off a bit." Calhoun moaned "You're actin' as if no matter WHAT those kids do, you're never gonna give 'em a break."

"Ho-OH, now wait a second Sage! I never implied that!" Ralph said as he turned towards the Marine.

"HA! Who's been tha one actin' like they're plottin' some massive attack behind our backs?"

"WELL-!"

Ralph faltered a bit, brows bunching.

"Can ya bl-?"

"No, I CAN'T blame ya for bein' cautious. But there is a limit Red, a GREAT BIG LIMIT an' ya've passed it." Calhoun said "Ya've gone from being PROTECTIVE ta bein' PARANOID an' it's not helpin' anyone in tha game."

"Aw, c'mon Cally-!"

"Don't call me that."

"I just want what's best for tha kid, that's all. Can ya really blame me for that?"

"No, an' I'm not TRYIN' ta." The Marine said, Felix and Vanellope just watching the two bicker on from below.

"Gonna stop her?"

"Nah, nah. This is getting' interestin' now…."

"Just don't go on FALSE CLAIMS-" Calhoun said, making certain that her words came out as HARD as possible given the company she was with "An' follow a buncha rumors."

Ralph stopped, remembering what had happened the LAST time he had gone on the words of someone else.

And it was HIS fault that Vanellope had gotten hurt that time, not the racers.

None the less Ralph still wanted to stick to his guns and keep Vanellope safe but as Calhoun's words echoed by, he knew there was a weight of truth to what she had said. As much as he disliked the racers before, what if he WAS ignoring what has happen with them and only creating a SIMILAR situation as that Turbo had created for so many years?

Ralph shuddered, not wanting to even think about equating himself to the fallen racer.

"Excusssse me."

Everyone turned towards Snake, the boss having not been turned an inch by Calhoun's words.

"As much as I believe the Ssssargent is holding up her duty, Ralph issss right in want to keep watch over those placcceholderssss."

"Now wait a moment." The Wrecker said as he turned towards the other bad guy, feeling some discomfort in how easily he threw the term PLACEHOLDER around "Maybe Calhoun is right on this, Snakey. I was goin' in too fast, too sudden. I want those kids to behave but-."

"We all know they are PROGRAMMED to be bulliesssss!" Snake broke in, slithering about the group.

"An' what proof do ya have of _**THAT?**_ " said Felix in a miffed tone, putting his hands on his hips. For a moment Snake said nothing, but he wasn't effected or even scared the slightest at the Hero's annoyance.

"Deep down, you can not change a bully." Snake said, hissing loudly "And that issss why I and many otherssss have vowed to make thingssss right in Ssssugar Russssh."

"I'm waitin' ta see those improvements you've promised." Calhoun said in a cold tone "OR should I just wait longer, SNAKE?"

The creature looked back and sneered at the woman, walking off.

"Oh Ssssargent, you really are a fighter for the people."

The woman smelled the stink coming off of the reptile's words "Ah-huh…."

"But perhapssss you ssssshould sssstick to zapping BUGSSSS an' let USSSS handle the kidsssss."

There was only a few things holding Calhoun back from snapping Snake in two, his haughty tone and unhidden desire for destruction making her sick to her stomach. She knew she had had her thoughts on the racers before but after seeing what Snake was capable of, after seeing what he wanted to do to them she KNEW she couldn't let it fly yet as she saw, it was becoming painfully apparent that there were more people on HIS side than there were on hers.

And it made her see just what job she had in front of her.

"Let'sssss go, Presssident." Snake hissed in a uppity tone.

"Um, to do what?"

"Make ssssure thosssse other racerssss are not messssssing up _**YOUR**_ beautiful game."

Vanellope followed Snake but she keep a good distance between herself and the pile of scales, the back of her mind telling her that perhaps she had gone too deep but she was at a lost at what to do.

"Er….sure." she said sheepishly "But Snake, lemme take care of this. I can talk to the guys."

"If they're ssssssmart enough to undersssstand." The creature snickered to himself "Bulliessss aren't programmed to be that sssssmart ssssso _**WE**_ might have to make thingssssss easssier for their level."

Vanellope gave Ralph a terrified look back but she still followed; she was going to need all the help she could get.

* * *

Sunday came and before Lumi knew it, he was being whisked away to the Kart Bakery but the moment he saw the massive columns and the rainbow smoke he could feel his legs lock up from under him.

"Taffyta, wait!"

"What is it, Lum?"

The boy hesitated for a moment, feeling so small as the factories loomed over him.

"Ya sure this is a good idea?"

"What is a racer without a kart?" the girl smirked, rolling her wrist "Besides, I thought ya wanted this."

"I…I do. I did…."

"Ya DID?"

"What I mean is…" the boy stammered "After all this stuff's been goin' on, I don't want YA guys ta get in trouble just tryin' ta help me."

"Awww, Lumi!"

Before the boy had a chance to look up he felt himself PRESSED in-between Candlehead's massive hugs.

"C'mon, Lu-Lu! Don't think like this!" the girl said "We just want ya ta be happy!"

"Th-thanks, C-Butt." The boy said in embarrassment "But isn't this a bit TOO much? I mean-?"

"Pastilli…."

The boy's eyes shot open, hearing his name spoken CORRECTLY. He looked over, Taffyta given the boy a sneaky grin.

"After all tha stuff ya've managed ta uncover for us? All tha things that ya've done? I think it's 'bout time YA had a lil fun yourself."

"But…but we haven't even gotten HALF WAY through yet!" said Lumi, trying to catch up with the strawberry racer "We haven't even found YOUR data yet but-!"

"Maybe not…" said Taffyta, her voice calm "But just these past few days of seeing Miss Von Cheatz eatin' our dust at every turn? This has been SOOOOOOO worth it!"

"Taffyta."

The girl turned, Candlehead eyeing her rather sadly.

"C'mon, Candles. Don't do this ta me now."

"I know you're annoyed with Vanellope, Taff." The girl said "But…but you're still bein' a lil hard on her."

"Heh, hard? Puh-LEAZE. As if tellin' her ta SCRAM is hard compared ta what her BUTT-WIPE crowd has done ta US! If tha PRESIDENT can't take a few things not goin' her way, that's her problem."

Taffyta was starting it again and it wasn't as if Candlehead and Lumi were oblivious to it. As more and more data and stories were being discovered and RECOVERED, Taffyta's confidence had gone through the roof but perhaps it was doing so for the wrong reasons. While it was a welcome sight to see things that proved the racers had more involvement with the kingdom of Sugar Rush than what was believed, Taffyta seemed to be taking far too much delight in watching Vanellope stumble and face questions she had no answer to.

When the whole adventure began, Candlehead's outlook for the trek was different. She wanted Vanellope to JOIN them, to see them as friends once more and to eventually lose her fear over Snake and the others but she couldn't help but feel a new divide was taking over.

But what could she do it stop it?

She looked over at Lumi, remembering there was one thing she COULD do and that was help.

"C'mon, Pasty. We're losin' day light." Said Gloyd, the other racers going up the path to the bakery "Sides, I wanna help ya out too."

"Really? How?"

The pumpkin boy winked, "Just get your butt in here an' you'll see."

The group stopped at the gates, Bearded Papa snoozing as usual in his cubby.

"Heh, Beardy!"

The old man awoke with a snort, much surprised to see so many kids at the gate.

"Oh, Miss Muttonfudge! What brings you here?"

"We just need ta use tha bakery for a moment." The girl said with a smug grin "Gots us some karts to make."

The old man peered over to the side, seeing Lumi's head out of the crowd. He looked down at his clipboard, a specific note catching his attention.

"Eeer…"

"What is it, Mr. Bearded Papa?" Candlehead asked "Tha place needs ta be fumigated again?"

"Um, it's not that kids….It's…."

Taffyta could already sense the trouble that was rising, the girl moaning and rolling her eyes "Let's hear it."

"I got orders…" the man began "To ensure that we keep specific company OUT of the bakery. For the safety of EVERYONE, of course!"

Lumi felt as if he had been hit in the stomach, knowing he should have expected such a hurdle to rise up.

"Who told ya THAT?" Taffyta asked, stepping before the group as she acted as the leader "An' what DANGER could we possibly face with Lumi?"

"I was just warned about viruses, that's all." The man said, scratching his cheek nervously "After what went down with Turbo, I don't wanna run tha risk ya know."

"Trust me, Beardy. There's no risk with us." Taffyta said matter-of-factly "Just us racers, that's all."

"Who gave ya tha warnin' anyway?" asked Candlehead "We haven't heard of any other places 'round here tellin' us we can't bring Lumi."

"Well, it was spur'a tha moment this mornin'." Said the man "I was brought these issues by Snake-Oil an'-!"

"SNAKE-OIL?!"

The group of racers gasped, the solution to their problem dropped right in front of them.

Of COURSE Snake would rear his ugly head where it wasn't needed, causing more trouble for the residence of the game.

"Lemme see." Taffyta said, signaling the old man to hand her the issue.

"But Miss Muttonfudge-!"

"Lemme see."

With some hesitation, Papa handed the notice to the girl, Taffyta reading it over.

 _People be on the look out!_  
 _There is a virus on the loose!_

 _If he gets too close, he may infect you and your loved ones!_

 _Refusal to serve this virus and those who follow him are permitted!_

 _Report any suspicious activity to Snake-Oil at once!_

Taffyta's blood began to boil as she looked at the paper, Candlehead filled with despair.

"Vanellope said yes to this?" the girl gulped, rubbing her hands "She would never-!"

"I don't see a signature on it." Said Snowanna, adjusting her glasses "If this were some sort of Presidential order, tha stamp of tha game would be on it, an' so would Vanellope's signature."

Taffyta felt a light going off in her head, turning towards the singing sweet "Ah, good catch Snowy!"

"But I'm still locked outta tha bakery." Lumi said sadly "Which means-"

"NO." Taffyta said, ripping the notice up "You are not!"

"Miss Muttonfudge!" Papa gasped, surprised that the girl would do such a thing "What are ya-?!"

"Ya heard Snowy. These papers have no indication that Vanellope even APPROVED 'em. No siggy from her, no stamp. Ya know how things work 'round here, right Papa?"

The man nodded "Y-Yes, yes. Yes, I do."

"From tha looks of things, seems like ya got caught in Snake's trap too." The girl said, snapping her fingers together. Papa sat back down in his seat, sighing.

"I knew I shudda taken more thought inta it…" he began, feeling shameful that he had been fooled in such a way "But with tha way that guy's been goin' about-"

Just from his tone, Lumi could tell that Bearded Papa had been caught under the wrath of Snake and his lot as well, the boy left to imagine just how terrible they had been towards him. Realizing this, Lumi knew he couldn't mope any longer, puffing out his chest and marching up to the man.

"Mr. Papa?"

The man looked down, Lumi's stance towards him surprising.

"Sir, I can promise ta ya I would never do anythin' ta hurt anyone or YOU."

The gentleness in Papa's eyes were clear; he believed the boy but he was still worried to how Vanellope and Snake would react, the reptilian bad guy ESPECIALLY.

"I know ya don't mean any harm kid…" the man said "But I just wanted ta follow orders, 'specially after what I did when Turbo-."

"What Turbo did ta this game ISN'T YOUR FAULT." Lumi said, putting his hands to his sides as he stood before the man bravely "An' if Snake was usin' that ta make ya feel bad-? Ya cudda given tha guy a good one-two punch an' sent him outta here!"

"Oh, I could NEVER do that!" the man said, looking AGHAST at the suggestion but Lumi giggled.

"Ya certain 'bout that? I 'member back in tha day, ya used ta show ANYONE who disrespected tha bakery an' your buddies just what Bearded Papa could do!"

The other racers could only guess this was a memory that had not returned to them yet, Lumi standing in the midst of them with a smile on his face. Papa of course could not remember the tales himself but the thought of it made him grin. He looked at the group of children and recalled how Snake had treated him.

"Ya know what?"

Papa pressed a few buttons and pulled a lever, the arm of the gate raising.

"I know ya kids can handle things on your own. So have fun!"

Lumi's eyes widened and brightened, his very code happy to see someone trust him. The excitement returned to him and he let out a squeal, rushing into the cubby and giving Bearded Papa a hug.

"Thank ya, sir!" the boy said "Thanks so much!"

Papa was caught by the wave of emotions, grabbing ahold of the boy to make sure he didn't fall back.

"Oh-! Well, I-!"

"Let's go!" Taffyta cheered, waving her hands "We got a kart to build!"

The kids sang and cried in jubilee as they rushed the gates, Papa watching on. It had been a long time since he had seen the group so happy but in the back of his mind he could only wonder if had done the right thing.

"Mr. Beareded Papa Sir?"

The man looked down, Candlehead standing by him. The girl reached into her hat, pulling out a bag of beautifully decorate sugar cookies and handing it to him.

"What's this for?" the man asked, Candlehead tilting her head to the side.

"Thank you for believing in us." The girl said in a sweet little tone before she ran off to join the others.

Yeah. He had done the right thing.

The doors of the massive bakery were flung open, Lumi instantly hit with the smell of baking cookies, cakes, and sweets. He had come hungry and now his appetite had SOARED to near Candlehead levels but when he remembered he had a cart to make he didn't know if he should wait to eat and build first.

Was it possible to do both?

"Okay now Lu-Lu…." Taffyta smiled "Let's get your kart together."

"But where do we start?" asked Jubileena.

"We don't know what his kart looks like." Said Citrusella.

"So how can we build it?" the twins finished together.

The strawberry racer looked back at the gummie boy, her grin growing "Ya got memories, so share 'em."

"Alright!" the boy said in an excited tone "Anyone got any paper an' pens?"

"I always do." Said Gloyd, reaching under his own hat to bring out the supplies. Lumi took a hold of them and began scribbling at light speeds, the others looking on.

"An' then there were wheels like that-! No, no! It's gotta be BIGGER! More streamlined! Oh, an' I can't forget the anchor an'-!"

"He's really inta this." Said Snowanna, certain she could see the paper SMOKING from how fast the boy was drawing.

"Can ya IMAGINE tha kinda kart he drove though?" Taffyta tittered to herself "I bet it could run rings 'round Vanellope's an-!"

" _ **TA-DAAAAAAH!"**_

Everyone looked on baited breath to see Lumi's kart and-!

"…..HUH?"

Taffyta blinked, uncertain if there were something wrong with her eyes. She rubbed them but no matter how many times she looked….

"Uuuuuuh, Lu?"

The boy stood proudly as he held the paper up to the others, unaware of their reactions "Yup?"

"Uuuuuuuh."

Taffyta couldn't help but feel embarrassed for herself AND the boy as no matter how many times she looked at the paper.

Scribbles.

SCRIBBLES.

 _ **SCRIBBLES!**_

Minty looked at the paper, arching a brow "WOW. That looks **AWFUL**."

"MINTY!" Swizzle shouted, shoving the girl.

"What? It is."

Lumi looked down at the paper before peering back at Minty "'Ey! It ain't that bad!"

The boy then began to point at the various parts of the kart but from what the others could see it looked like a mutated bowl of black spaghetti.

"See? This is where the ropes went over the kart, sorta like m'dad's boat! An' tha linin' was this waxy paper like when ya find on those fancy gummies ta protect it from water!"

"Wait, that's a gummie?" said Gloyd "I thought that was a booger that got flicked on tha paper.

"GLOYD! EW!"

"Guys, be serious!" huffed the gummie boy, Taffyta shaking her head.

"Um. I'm trying ta be but…."

"UUUUUURGH. Is it my fault I can't draw?!" Lumi pouted, tapping his foot on the ground "Sides, it's not like I have any pictures ta pull up an' show ya how tha kart looked!"

"We know that an' it wudda made things a heck'a lot easier." Sighed Taffyta "So now what are we gonna do."

"If we try ta feed this thing inta tha cooker, it'll…."

Swizz stopped, looking at Lumi's drawing as he dreaded what the end results could be.

"Oh guys, don't be so rough on him!" Candlehead said, defending the boy "Ya know what happened when Mr. Wreck-It-Ralph helped Vanellope make her kart!"

"Yeah, but he busted in here and she already put in for a basic kart." Swizz corrected "What he did was just added on from a default settin'. I can't tell what type'a kart Lumi's started out from."

"Can ya remember?" asked Candlehead, the boy going over to the monitors and looking at the selection. He swiped through them all but as he looked he became discouraged once again.

"I don't see it…" he said, sadness rising in his voice "I-Its should be there but-!"

A horrible realization hit the boy as he remember how his pictures were missing from the trove that was found in Boo Town. What if this was another piece that was missing NOT because of Turbo's involvement but rather because he was still an unfinished asset? If that were the case, no wonder the base for his kart was missing as it had never been made and fully implemented in the game.

" _Oh no…."_

"Lumi, don't worry." Candlehead said, rushing over and hugging the boy again "We'll figure somethin' out."

"Hey, Brainbox. Ya know what ta do for this?" Taffyta asked Swizz, the boy already on it.

"We can always just start from scratch in this case. Simple as that." The boy said as he turned to Lumi "How's that sound?"

"So long as it means I get a kart, it sounds great." The boy said "But I dunno where ta start."

"Ya can start by tryin' ta _**EXPLAIN**_ what _**THIS**_ is supposed ta be." Taffyta said as she pointed to the drawing again "Don't mean ta be harsh Lumi but….I still can only think of spaghetti when I see this."

"TAFF."

"Wait…."

The group turned, Gloyd taking his sketch book as he sat down on a nearby gum drop.

"Kid."

"Yeah?"

"Ya got memories of that kart floatin' in your head an' that should be enough." The pumpkin racer said "Tell me. Every detail, every candy. What did your kart look like?"

At first Lumi wasn't so sure but as he remembered that talents that the pumpkin boy had, he realized that he was in good hands.

"Okay…." The boy began "My kart-?"

Gloyd had his pencil ready, brain ready to draw.

"It-! It was AMAZIN'!" Lumi shouted in glee as he jumped on his feet "When m'pop an' I made it, we made it ta be like tha best fishin' boat on tha water!"

"Fishin' boat?" Candlehead said, Taffyta laughing again "But this was supposed ta be a race!"

"But it was supposed ta go on land an' sea!" Lumi continued, the good times flowing through his brain "So we shaped it like a gummie boat an' he added all tha candies on tha side ta make it look like HIS boat! It glided on land just fine but in tha water? That's where it SHINED!"

Gloyd continued to sketch, the boy taking in every detail.

"When we first rolled it out-? It was amazin'! I was a lil nervous ta try it at first but pop helped me learn ta steer an' roll! It was amazin'!"

Candlehead was caught up in Lumi's tale as well, wanting to hear more as her eyes grew bigger.

"Then what happened next?!"

"Tha first race-!" Lumi started "We were all lined up an-!"

He stopped.

Lumi realized that everyone was now looking at him, his knees starting to knock together.

"Well?" asked Taffyta "Then what?"

It was then that Lumi realized his tongue was carrying him too far and he stopped, his body shrinking back.

"I…."

"Yeah?"

"I-I…"

"Spit it out, Lumi."

"I….that's where it kinda ends."

"It ENDS? What do ya mean, it ends?" asked Taffyta. Lumi slumped over a bit, looking worried to speak up any further.

"That's just where things end, okay?" the boy said "I-I don't wanna say too much but…"

The strawberry racer glanced over to Swizz, the boy nodding to her "Don't blast your brains out about it. I understand now how things are workin'."

"Ya do?" Lumi asked nervously.

"Yeah, an' even with that I think ya gave Gloyd enough info ta go on!"

Lumi had nearly forgotten about Gloyd as he went about in his story, the boy still sitting on his gumdrop and sketching away.

"Now…" the older boy said "Just one more-!"

"Three, two, one." Taffyta counted down.

"Done!"

The group moved closer, all surrounding Gloyd and his work.

"Now, Pasty." The trickster grinned as he held his book up "What do ya think?"

* * *

"It's been rather quiet today." Felix said as he and the others enjoyed their stroll doing the candied lanes "I'm used ta seein' tha others goin' 'bout, ya know."

"Well, they have been busy." Vanellope said, sounding a little upset that she was left out "So maybe they're off somewhere else."

Ralph tried his best to keep a positive mind about everything and not think too negatively about the kids but in his gut he just could not stop. He wanted to believe that the kids were alright, that maybe Snake was speaking out of term about them but the worried part of his mind was as strong as ever but he still had enough restraint to keep himself back.

"H-Hey, how 'bout we stop at tha malt shop!" said Ralph "I'm kinda hungry as it is an' with all tha cake I smell on tha air-!"

Vanellope sniffed the air, finally realizing the odd scent surrounding her. Granted, Sugar Rush always smelled sweet and tasty but there was something odd about the scent.

"Hmmm."

She looked up, noticing the rainbow colored smoke wafting through the air.

"IS someone at tha bakery?" the girl thought to herself "I don't remember anyone plannin' somethin' today."

"Should we be worried?" asked Ralph, the girl shaking her head.

"No. I mean, it's just been a while since tha guys have gone up there an-!"

"PRESSSSIDENT!"

Vanellope glitched in shock as her named was yelled at her, turning around to see Snake rushing up the path.

"S-Snake?"

"I have gotten word-!" the reptile said "That ssssomone hassss BROKEN into the bakery!"

The four heroes' eyes grew to the size of dinner plates at the news, Ralph jumping sooner than he wanted.

"Who, Snake?! WHO?!"

"Who elsssse could it be?" the creature spat in anger "I am betting itssss thosssse BRATSSSSS!"

Calhoun quickly regained herself "Hold on for a sec, Snake. That doesn't constitute as breakin' n' enterin' if I remember tha rules in place!"

"Yeah." Vanellope said, giving Snake a look as she twirled the end of her ponytail in between her fingers "I just got through tellin' tha guys. They're allowed ta go inta tha bakery whenever they want. It's our home so-!"

"Even ssssso!" Snake broke in, trying to recover "Who knowssss what kind of trouble they could be planning behind your back! They could be modifying their kartssss to gain an unfair advantage! To ssssabatouge ssssomething whenever you go back! They could-!"

"Why don't we just see for ourselves?" Felix said, walking in front of the others as he lead the way "Maybe this way, we can really see what's goin' on?"

* * *

"Amazin'!" said Candlehead.

"Outstanding." Said Crumbellina.

"Out-RAGOUS!" said Snowanna.

The others looked at the kart as it shined and gleamed before them, Gloyd and Swizz putting on the finishing touches. Lumi could do nothing more but stand back in awe, his throat tightening and his heart racing in his chest.

"See, didn't we say that Gloyd could draw?" Taffyta smirked "Ya were in good hands all this time, Lu-Lu so-!"

The little boy walked forward, hands shaking as he touched the kart.

"Is….is this real?"

He could feel the slick, polished surface of the candy cover, the soft dusting of sugar on the gummie bumpers. The wax-board underside gleamed and the smell was amazing.

Lumi looked….and he began to tear up.

"Lumi!" Candlehead shouted, noticing the boy stating to sob "Is-?! Is it okay? Did we do somethin' wrong?"

"N-No…." the boy sniffed "It's just…."

He looked at the racer, recalling all the negative things said about them during his short stay in the game. Despite all of that, despite being called such horrible people they had actually taken the time out to help him. They didn't have to, they could have easily sided with Snake and the others and believed him to be a virus, to have no place in the game but they didn't.

Instead, they had helped him.

They had risked their own reputations and followed his stories to help him. And as he looked at his kart.

"G-Guys!"

He knew he was in good hands.

"THANK YA SO MUCH!" the boy shouted, wondering how many thanks he would give out that day "This! This is AMAZIN'! This is SO COOL! I CAN'T BELIEVE YA MADE IT! IT ACTUALLY EXIST!"

"Just consider it pay back for what ya've done for us."

The boy turned around, Taffyta giving him a nod.

"I was bein' serious. Ya actually took tha time ta listen ta us an…well, it's just been a long time since someone's done that."

"An-any good person would do that." Said the boy "My pop told me. Plus…."

"Yeah?" taffyta said, arching a brow.

"All that stuff they say 'bout ya, Taff? That Muttonflub stuff?"

Taffyta's cheeks flushed red, a little sweat beading on her brows.

"Don't believe it." The boy said as he stood next to his kart, proudly "Don't believe ANYTHIN' those guys tell ya 'bout bein' bad. Ya may have done some things when that Turbo jerk was here but Muttonfudges are not the bad guys of Sugar Rush. They never were, an' never WILL BE."

Now it was Taffyta's turn to feel the shyness, her childlike nature returning to her in a massive RUSH, feeling so venerable and bashful.

Even Candlehead felt something familiar about her reaction but like many things, it was yet to be discovered.

"Oooh, babalaaaaaaa."

Lumi smiled a bit, Taffyta pulling her hat down.

"L-Let's just get this kart outta here. G-Give it a lil test, ya dork."

"Sure, Muttonfudge." The boy grinned "Sure."

The kart was then wheeled out into the sunlight, its luster showing even brighter than before.

"Aaaaaw man!" Minty said, already pumped "I can't wait ta see this thing tearin' up on tha tracks!"

"Wait, what'll Vanellope say?" asked Sticky, looking at her sister in worry "It's bad enough that we made this kart but tha moment she sees it? What is she gonna think? Is she even gonna let Lumi onta tha track?"

"I-I don't care!" the boy responded, stuttering just a bit as he tried to hold his head up high "I'll ride on tha out-skirts if I can't be on tha track! Start my own races!"

"Heh, okay Lu-Lu. Don't get too carried away." Taffyta said.

"But think 'bout it! If people are that mad at us when we beat Vanellope an' they keep sayin' we cheat, maybe we SHOULD make our own games!"

The others were ASTOUNDED by the suggestion but the idea was already planted in the boys mind. He had already been told enough times by various outsiders that his addition to the game was just a detriment to Vanellope's own progress so if they felt such a desire to stay away from him-?

"There's so much land here! Land undiscovered! We can find us a good patch, build us a bigger an' badder track!"

"I like tha way you think!" Minty said "I always say that tha official rules were baby-farts! We need somethin' tougher!"

"Please, don't encourage her." Snorted Swizzle.

"We can make a Sugar Rush derby!" Lumi said "An' unlike how things are handled up here, if ya wanna join ya can join. Tha only thing that'll 'hold peole back' is whether or not ya actually wanna have fun with 'em."

"So…so does that mean, if we do this, Vanellope can join?"

Lumi looked back at Candlehead; of course she would be the one who would defend the candy President and as much as Lumi still held a sour spot for her, he knew that he couldn't mirror her actions. He wanted to prove to everyone that he was much as a racer as they were but also prove that even if he wasn't President, even if he were a common racer he could show better leadership skills and maturity than the figure so many had lauded.

And if he were to prove that, when the time came no matter how much he disliked her, he would have to lend a hand to the girl. Aside from that it was clear to him that Candlehead just wanted the group to come back together again, nothing and no one holding them back.

"Yeah, C-Butt. She can join."

"If she still wants to." Taffyta said, kicking up some dirt "Tha choice is up ta her an' whoever is followin' her. Ya know that."

Just at that moment, five figures made their way up the path to the bakery. Snake was slithering faster than the others could keep up, his eyes dead-set on the cubby ahead of him.

"Snake, slow down!" shouted Vanellope, glitching in front of the baddie "We're all goin' ta tha same place so there's no need ta rush!"

"I am ssssory Presssident but I am jussst enssssuring that thingssss are ssssecure." The man hissed angrily, eying Bearded Papa up ahead.

The old man spied Snake coming, his anger already felt nearly a yard away.

"Oh boy."

"I thought I told you _**NOT**_ to let anyone elsssse into the bakery!" Snake roared down at the small man as he leapt from the cubby "Are you THAT ssssstupid not to-!"

The reptile looked to the side, noticing the bag of half-eaten cookies on the desk; someone had beaten the group to the punch and it was no puzzle to figure out who.

"I KNEW it!" the snake growled as he grasped Papa by his collar, grabbing the cookies and CRUSHING them in-between his claws "You took a BRIBE from thosssse BRATSSS!"

"It-It wasn't a BRIBE!" the old man shouted, trying to fight his way free.

"LIAR!"

"What was used as a bribe now?" Calhoun asked as she smacked Snake's hand, causing him to drop the baker to the ground.

"That CANDLE-DUNCE wassss here which can only mean the ressst of those rotterssss are asssss well. I had, ahem, ADVISSSSED Papa of the DANGERSSSS that could come to the Presssssident if the WRONG PEOPLE made their way in here. I wassss jusssst-!"

"Hold on just a moment, sir!" Papa declared, holding out a hand "I am aware of those flyers that you gave to me this morning but I should have known something was off about them!"

"Fliers?"

Vanellope stepped forward, arching a brow as she looked at Bearded Papa.

"What are ya talkin' about?"

"Ya can thank Miss Rainbau for relaying the information to me." Papa said as he lowered one of the sheets to the vanilla racer "But I don't think I can implement such bans without your permission, Miss Von Schweetz."

"That is PRESSSSIDENT, you ssssenile old fool!" Snake said cruely "And why would you trussst Rainbone of all people? The blind little sssssnot couldn't sssssee her way out of-!"

"Snake?"

The creature looked down, Vanellope looking at the sheets.

"Yessss?"

Vanellope couldn't help but tremble as she looked at the words, looked at the picture that had been used on the warning. She was so nervous because it reminded her of the EXACT same thing Turbo had done during his rule as Candy to keep her out of the races and every other location in her own home.

And Snake was repeating the action?

"Did….did you really make these?"

Hearing the worry from the child's voice suddenly made the creature back away nervously "Well-! I wassss-!"

"Ya handed 'em ta me this mornin'." Papa said as he looked back up at the creature "An' ya were goin' on 'bout how I had ta watch out for viruses an' all that."

"Well, it ISSSS true!" the Snake shot back, trying to recover "We live in troubled timessss now, sssso we can't be too careful!"

"But ya know that people can't follow these kinda rules less I place them in." Vanellope said "An' aside from that, I-!"

Vanellope trembled as she held the papers, turning back to the creature.

"I don't wanna keep people out like this!" she said loudly.

"But what about the unknown one?" said Snake "We ssssstill can not trussst him."

"I know, I know!" Vanellope said, breathing hard the more nervous she became "But-!"

" _Let's try it out!"_

" _Yeah!"_

Vanellope squeaked as she tuned towards the distance, hearing voice close by.

"Vanellope?" asked Ralph, stepping forward.

The girl didn't reply, dropping the fliers as she ran off into the distance.

"Hey! Wait!" called Ralph as he followed suit "Don't just leave me here, kid!"

"Well, gotta make sure they don't get into trouble." Felix shrugged as he went after his friends.

Papa looked up at Calhoun, still looking rather nervous given the situation "An-an' me?"

"Sir, don't worry about a thing." The Marine said "Ya were just doin' your job an' no harm was done."

From the corner of her eye, she could see a body of scales trying so sneak away. Her hand shot out and took ahold of Snake's collar, pulling him back with surprising strength.

"YOU on tha other hand-!"

"GERK!"

"You're comin' with ME, Snake." The woman said, the anger clear in her voice "Wouldn't want ya getting' inta trouble on your own, now WOULD WE?"

* * *

"How does this handle?" Torvald asked as she looked at the kart "That's what I wanna know."

"Why?" smirked Lumi "So ya can get some clues on how ta give yourself an advantage durin' a race?"

"Ooooh, just try me!" said the butter girl "I bet I could whoop your booty with my eyes an' ears taped an' drivin' BACKWARDS!"

"Wow, Tori. Chill a bit, okay?"

"Uh, hello?"

The group turned, Vanellope standing before them at the end of the path and looking all colors of shocked. Ralph appeared behind on a few moments later, his eyes instantly set on the new kart and the rider within it.

"Holy coconuts."

Lumi gripped upon the steering wheel of his kart, nervous at the appearance of the large bad guy.

"Hey, Nelly." Taffyta said in a tart manner, taking the lead for the group once again "Fancy meetin' ya here."

"Um….we all live here." Responded the girl "What's so weird 'bout me showin' up ta a place I go to all tha time?"

"I dunno. I guess I'm just gettin' used ta ya or one of your new buddies poppin' up an' yellin' at us."

"Okay, girls. Cool it." Ralph said as he approached the group "We're just here because we saw all that smoke comin' up in tha sky. We weren't thinkin' ya were doin' something bad."

LIAR.

"Then what was up with those fliers, Von Schweetz?" Taffyta frowned "Ya that worried 'bout viruses? I thought your new friends could take care of 'em."

"Look, those weren't my idea." The other girl said, shoving her hands in her pockets as she approached the group.

"Then who did them?" Taffyta said, already knowing the answer but awaiting Vanellope's excuse.

"I…I dunno." The vanilla racer lied "But whatever. Where did this kart come from?"

"We made it." Said Lumi "Well, Gloyd sketched it an' then we made it."

Ralph looked down at the kart, confessing to himself that even he found it rather impressive but he still couldn't push away the bad feeling he had. If it were true that the racers had helped Lumi make this kart it only brought him to wonder why they never helped Vanellope, the man quickly remembering how they were also taught to shun her so going off the line wasn't something to be expected.

"So all'a this was because of a kart?" the girl said, looking at the vehicle.

"I just owed it ta Lumi, okay?" Taffyta said "He's already done so much for us so-!"

"WHERE ARE THOSSSSSE BRATSSSSS?!"

Everyone turned at the shout, seeing a massive shadow rushing up the lane.

"Oh no, he's comin'!" screamed Candlehead, the girl pushing the kart back "Hide it, before he destroys it!"

Ralph had to do a double-take to ensure he had heard the girl correctly; was she really that scared of Snake? If she weren't before, she would have been given how the baddie barreled his way through, having wriggled his way from Calhoun's hold.

"Don't ya dare make a move towards ANYONE, Snake!" the Marine shouted, reaching out to grab his arm again "We don't need anymore headaches, thanks ta ya!"

"The only HEADACHE around here…." The snake hissed "Are thosssse bitter little cavitiesss and their-!"

Snake froze in his place once he saw Lumi's glistening kart, the boy still strapped inside the driver's seat.

" _I knew it."_

"B-Back off!" the boy warned.

"I _**KNEW**_ the lot of you were planning sssssomething rotten!"

"Don't ya even THINK about layin' a single scale on that kart, SNAKE-BREATH!" Taffyta roared powerfully but the boss didn't listen, grabbing the kart by its front and lifting it up.

"STOP! STOP!" Lumi shouted, still held back by his seat belt "What do ya think you're doin'!?"

"Thissss issss an _**ILLEGAL KART**_!" the creature shouted, forcing the kart to skid on its wheels, Lumi dreading the damage that was being done "No kartsssss can be made without _**MY**_ -!"

" _ **YOUR**_ -?"

Snake turned around, Felix giving him an odd look.

"What do ya mean 'YOUR'-? Your WHAT?"

Once more Snake had seen that he had slipped and with trust slipping through his grasp….

"What I meant to sssssay-!" he recovered "No kartssss can be made without the PRESSSIDENT'SSSS approval, esssspeccccially thosssse created by YOU lot!"

"Snake, I never said that." Vanellope moaned.

"Well, it SSSSSHOULD be an official rule." The creature growled "It would keep the riff-raff in their placcce and out of our hair."

"Last time I checked, Snake. You weren't holdin' any goverin' position in this game, nor your own." Calhoun said in a harsh tone, pushing the creature back "So with that, I can only suggest that ya BACK the frick off or-!"

"Do you not GET IT, SSSSargent?!" Snake shouted "If we let thesssse bratssss have ANY ssssort of leyway, they're going to go back to how thingssss were when they let Turbo in!"

"We did _**NOT**_ let Turbo in!" Taffyta shouted, standing before the other racers.

" _ **YESSSS YOU DID!"**_ Snake hollered back _**"I KNOW YOU DID! I KNOW YOU DID! IT'SSSS WHAT YOU BULLIESSSS DO!"**_

"Right now the only bully here is _**YOU,**_ Snake!" Felix shouted out "My goodness man, do ya even HEAR what you're sayin'?!"

"You didn't ssssee the way they treated Vanellope, Fix-It!" barked the reptile.

"An' ya didn't either so stop actin' as if were here ta witness what Turbo did or that ya know everythin' about this game, do you understand?!"

Everyone was STUNNED at how forward Felix had gotten with the bad guy, everyone knowing that it took a LOT to get the little man into such a mood.

"Jimminay JAMMINY."

Snake was silent, his brows furrowed in anger and as he thought to himself there was no way he was going to allow himself to be defeated so easily, especially in the presence of the candy racers.

"There are jussssst precautionssss we have to take, FELIX." He said harshly, peering down at the smaller hero "I wouldn't want Vanellope to go through another fifteen yearsss of torment, much like how I am ssssure you wouldn't want Ralph to go through another THIRTY, eh?"

Felix knew that Snake was bringing to light his own mistakes but he did not weaken. If Felix were to fix his own past he had to stand up in the PRESENT. He did not flinch, he did not move but Snake looked down upon him nonetheless, slithering aside and looking back at the kart.

"Sssssso…..thissss issss yoursssss?"

Lumi ducked down a bit, his eyes kept on the large reptile "Yeah. So what if it is?"

"Typical." Snake said in a snooty tone.

"Typical of WHAT?" said a miffed Taffyta.

"It'ssss TYPICAL that you would make ssssomethin' like thisssss." Snake continued "All you uncreative, unimaginative, BASSSSIC charactersss have to rely on all the defaultsssss."

The boss snickered teasingly at the others, unaware that Vanellope stood behind him, glaring but still trapped in her own thoughts on what to do. She knew had it been someone else, someone who had not adhered themselves so closely to her, she would have easily told them to go off, said something so sharp and biting that they would have rushed back to their game with their tails between their legs….

But this was Snake, a character who had promised her the arcade and so much more. In the past, he had lived up to his promises, even more than the other racers but now?

Now Vanellope wasn't too sure.

"I guessss if anything, it ssssshowssss how much more free Vanellope'sssss mind issss compared to the resssst of you." Snake chuckled "You can only go ssssso far to create what'sssss already programmed into your little mindssss and-!"

"A-Actually…."

Snake turned around, Vanellope walking up to him.

"M-My…."

Breathe in Vanellope, he's not as scary as he's making himself out to be.

The girl placed her hands on her hips, giving Snake a peeved look.

"Snake, my ORIGINAL kart was the one Turbo stole from me." The girl said with a graceful air to her words "An' even if I don't ride it as my default, I _**STILL**_ like it. In fact, it's in tha garage. Ya should know that given how many tours you've given people ta see my _**OTHER**_ kart."

Snake felt a bit of a jolt hit him, Vanellope once again correcting him.

"I'm actually tryin' ta find a way ta put it in as a special. Ya know, an extra feature." The girl quipped, rubbing the back of her head "Just don't really know how ta work tha code an'-"

"Ya wanna do that?" Swizz smiled as he took a step towards the girl "Why didn't ya ask ME? I could easily-!"

"It provessss-!" Snake interrupted, throwing an arm between the girl and boy, shoving Swizzle back "That you are a TRUE rebel of the game! That you are making marksss for yoursssself unlike thesssse OTHERSSSS who-!"

"I told ya. I still like my Royal kart, Snake. I don't HATE it. Tha reason why I drive tha kart ya know is because RALPH helped me make it." The girl said as she pointed back to her friend "I wouldn't feel right if I were just gonna abandon that with all tha work he put in ta help me make it!"

Ralph smiled, surprised to hear that Vanellope cared for the kart in such a manner, in such a way that she would put aside her rightful kart, one she still loved, just to show off the one he had had a hand in creating.

"W-Well…" Snake said, clearing his throat as he attempted to recover "Th-the kart you made is SSSSO much more powerful than the others! After all, it was the one you used to save Ralph before he went into the vol-!"

"No, it's not." Vanellope interrupted again "Tha Cybugs destroyed it, remember?"

Another slip.

Snake was surrounded by other eyes, all of them knowing that his words had wrapped themselves around his neck, Vanellope's annoyed glare the most painful of all.

"I took _**CRUMBELLINA'S**_ kart ta save Ralph an' it worked just fine…" said the girl "Any kart will glitch just so long as I'm in it."

"An' besides-." Taffyta said, brushing off the scuff marks on Lumi's kart "If actually KNEW anythin' 'bout how kart makin' works here, you'd know we _**ALL**_ have default karts an' all tha players can make whatever kart they want. We play different karts each turn."

The reptile scowled at the white-haired girl, refusing to let her get the better of him.

"Perhapssss you have gotten me there, Muttonflub…" Snake growled "But that sssstill doesssn't make thisssss unssssanctioned kart any lessssss dangerousssss to be on the tracksssss!"

"We haven't even tested it yet, Scale-Bait." The strawberry racer shot back "An' we sure as heck don't need _**YA**_ judgin' a worth of a kart at first glance."

"It doesssssn't look like any other kart!" the snake shouted.

"What's a kart _**SUPPOSED**_ ta look like then?" asked Calhoun, smirking as she was awaiting the excuse.

"A kart-!"

The reptilian boss growled, slithering in place as he tried to string his words together.

"A kart issssssn't sssssupossssed to look like thissss!" he called out.

"A kart isn't supposed ta look like someone dumped a whole candy factory on it, but I don't see ya complainin' bout THAT." Lumi shot back, Snake hissing angrily at him.

"Keep your mouth SSSSHUT, Virussss!"

"He is _**NOT**_ a virus!" Candlehead retorted back, stepping in front of the boy as she wagged a finger in front of Snake's face "'Sides, if there were any viruses here Mrs. Tamera Jean Calhoun Fix-It Jr. wudda blasted 'em in tha face! Nothin' gets past her an' since Lumi got past her, that means he's not a virus! So there!"

Rancis put his face in his hands "That didn't make a lick of sense, C-Butt."

"An' anyway, I remember that I made my kart ta look like my pop's boat." The boy smiled as he looked at the vehicle "It was my way ta show how much I loved tha family biz."

"Sssso ssssome floundering raccccer makessss a kart that lookssss like sssssome old tub?" Snake shrugged and rolled his eyes "Sssso WHAT? It'ssss sssstill not assss good assss-!"

"An' that others." Felix interrupted, growing tired of Snake's judgement of the other karts "Ya got any tales to tell?"

"Of coursssse not, Fix-It!" spat Snake "They have NOTHING! They're jusssst placccceholderssss and placccceholderssss DON'T-! HAVE-! BACKSSSSTORIESSSSS!"

"Actually-"

Everyone turned to Snowanna, the girl's eyes lighting up behind her sunglasses.

"For my kart, I remember-"

The group looked excitedly towards the girl, wanting to hear more clues to their own past among her own.

"The reason I have a kart shaped like a snow-cone cup is because when my daddy got here, that's what he did. He sold snow-cones."

"Ya mean he wasn't a rockstar?" asked Adorabeezle "I thought he always was famous."

"No." the rainbow girl shook her head, more and more memories comes back "He used ta live so far away, on a small island an' he came to tha Kingdom one day just to enjoy the summer and sell Snow-cones! But then he met my mother and when she saw that he could play-!"

Snowanna giggled and beamed, happiness flooding her mind.

"I remember! He told me the story and I wanted to make a snow-cone cup kart! Because even after everything he had gotten, he still loved Snow-cones and without 'em he would have never met my mom!"

"I'm sssssurprissssed your mom could SSSSSEE the sssstuff." Snake chuckled to himself "But given how ssssshe looked, I guessss sssshe-!"

"SNAKE."

The creature yelped, turning to see Ralph glaring at him.

And he did not look happy.

The Wrecker said not a word, only shaking his head disapprovingly.

"With my mom!" Swizz began, sounding proud as he thumbed to himself "I 'member she didn't want me ta even be in tha races!"

"REALLY?!" Candlehead gasped, her pigtails fluttering "Then-?!"

"It was all because of my papa's accident. It really hurt her." The boy continued, his confidence still high despite the sad tale "But I told her, Papa wouldn't like to see her bein' all mopey an' scared an' if he were still around we'd make tha best kart ever! I had ta hold her back from putting death rays on it!"

"Wait, a moment…" said Calhoun, not sure if she had heard the child correctly "DEATH RAYS?"

"Meh, I just liked candy-corn." Gloyd said as he sat down, putting the pencil in his ear "But it was just tha trill of tha race that got me! I wanted ta show everyone what Orangeboars were made of-!"

"I-!"

Everyone turned towards Adorabeezle, the girl looking surprised.

"Beezie?" asked Lumi.

"I-!"

Something was coming back. Even if it were not her full memories, the reminiscing about the karts had sparked something in her mind, the girl shutting her eyes tight.

"Beezie, what's-?!"

"M-My kart-!" the girl stammered "I-! We-!"

"Oh no, not again!" Felix said in worry as he rushed to the child, her body hunched down in pain.

"What's goin' on!?" asked Ralph in worry.

"We might be openin' another memory box up, Red." Calhoun said, standing at caution.

"They-they were twin pops!" Adorabeezle said, her voice shaking "D-Don't you remember, Nougie?"

Nougie felt her mind fuzzing over as well, images of the two with their karts appearing in her head but in the distance stood a large figure, one decked out in a uniform but other than the blurry bits of their body she could not make anything else out. All she could see was the kart and the history that was held within it.

"We made twin pops-!" Nougetsia said for her sister "Because-! Because of someone-! Someone special! Twin BOMB pops!"

"Y-Yeah…" Vanellope said "Ya guys do have those bomb pops…"

Suddenly Jubileena's eyes lit up, her own pigtails swirling "Twin pies!"

Felix looked over, worried that she too would fall to the floor but rather than losing her strength Jubileena seemed to GAIN it. She smiled, far too much energy going about her as she began to bounce around the area.

"I remember! I REMEMBER!" she sang "We had twin karts too! Don't ya remember, Cissy?!"

"What are they babbling about?" Snake said in a bitter tone "Ssssomeone hold thossssse bratssss down. They're _**CLEARLY**_ malfunctioning."

"No, you idiot! I think they're givin' us what we need ta make sense of all'a this!" Calhoun said as she hit the creature in the arm.

Jubileena hopped over to her sister and took her hands into her own, still bouncing like a ball.

"I had cherry, you had blueberry!" the girl sang "They were different but when we put 'em together-!"

Soon Citrusella's eyes began to light up as well, a clear sign to her sister that things were coming back.

"Two of a kind, two slices of pie!"

"My land…" Felix smiled, watching as Adorabeezle got back to her feet "It's comin' back!"

Soon the entire group began to recall the reasons and love behind their karts, each one having a story to tell.

"We're all triplets-!" said Minty in a proud voice "But we wanted ta show off our favorite candies an' our families! I had peppermint!"

"I had butterscotch!" said Torvald, gleefully.

"An' I had marshmallow!" said Sticky.

"And-!" Sakura followed up "I wanted ta show how we're cousins! That's right, darling! My kart looks like there's because I'm part of the Zaki family too and-!"

"Matcha!" Minty said as she pointed to her fancy cousin "Your candy was MATCHA inside!"

"YES!"

Crumbellina stood refined, as always, before the group "The reason for the design of my kart? I believe, if this is true, that…"

"Yeah Crumbz?" asked Taffyta.

"…It…It was….Fun."

"Fun?"

"FUN." The girl repeated "To let loose. To…to be ourselves. To just have FUN."

"I wanted to-" Rancis began, sounding less enthusiastic than the others "I wanted to make a kart that my mom and dad would be proud of, that they would be happy to see together."

Ralph noticed the rather said tone, carefully walking up to the boy.

"Kid?"

Ralph could see it in the child's eyes; they were running over with code and pixels, the boy frozen in place but he couldn't bring it all back. There were still bits missing. The peanut butter racer snapped to, shaking his head.

"That's it…" he said "I can't see them. I can't remember further than that….I just know, I just remember, I wanted to see them happy. I wanted to make them happy. Something had happened to make them so upset."

" _Yesssss, they had you."_ Snake muttered under his breath, lucky that no one caught him making such a comment.

"An' what about ya three?" Felix said as he turned his attention towards Candlehead, Taffyta….

And Vanellope.

Even with Felix's smile, the three felt rather awkward and caught, not sure how to respond but in the case of two.

"I….I can't remember."

The man turned towards Taffyta, surprised by her reply "Ya can't remember?"

The girl blushed, holding her hands together as she looked down. Why COULDN'T she remember? Everyone else seemed to get their memories back at the moment it seemed that three girls were still lost on their paths.

"I-I can't…"

"AN' ME-?!"

The three looked over at Vanellope after her loud shout, the girl covering her mouth as she blushed even brighter than Taffyta.

"Er…"

"Nelly?"

"I…I think some things are still missin' from me too!" she stammered, turning away. Ralph approached her, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry kid. If all'a this true, we'll find that bit of your story!"

"Of course it's true!" said Lumi "I wouldn't lie ta Vanellope a single bit! There's a buncha reasons why we made our karts but…."

The boy placed a hand on his chin, thinking.

"It's just as far as my memories go. I remember HER, but I don't remember everythin' 'bout HER STORY. She has tha key ta that."

"In that case, I guess tha adventure's gonna pick back up." Calhoun said, looking about excitedly.

"Oh, c'mon Sarge! After that lecture ya gave me?" Ralph pouted.

"What can I say? I gotta stay busy!"

"Thissss issss a fool'ssss errand!" Snake shouted, the kids ducked down in terror of the large bad guy "I cannot believe you are sssswallowing the worrrrds of ssssome unknown _**BYTE**_!"

"I am _**NOT**_ an unknown!" Lumi said as he pointed to himself "I Pastilli Gumbettino! I'm a RACER an' this is my home!"

"Until I get any more proof, thissss is no more your home than the resssst of you are valuable assssetssss!"

"Ya know, it's kinda funny ya say we don't do anythin' in _**OUR**_ game." Taffyta said as she shot the creature an unimpressed glare "But givin' how much time ya hang around here an' boss us around? Kinda tellin' ta how important ya are in your _**OWN**_ game."

 **OUCH.**

Even Ralph felt the punch from that one, the man clearing his throat.

"Miss Muttonfudge."

The girl looked up at the big red man, no longer scared by his presence "Oh, c'mon Mr. Ralph! Even ya haven't acted as badly as this dingle-berry when Turbo bit tha dust!"

The big man heard a loud **SNORT** of a laughter, his head turning to see Calhoun shaking with laugher.

"That's not settin' a good example. Ya know it's not."

" _PFFFT-!"_

"You ssssseem sssso ccccertain in the boy, Muttonflub. A lot more cccccertain than ya were in Vanellope back when you hung on Turbo'ssss every word."

"Thingsssss CHANGE." The girl said, mocking the creature's voice "'Sides, if everyone keeps demandin' we change an' git gud, then here it is. S'not our fault ya can't accept that."

"I can accccept many thingssss." Snake chuckled to himself "But a bully turning over a new leaf and a virussss winning a racccce? Heh, you'll have to do much more."

"Well, my kart is here." Lumi said bravely "Why not ya watch for yourself, SNAKE BREATH?"

"A race?" Felix blinked, doing a fine enough job holding back his excitement "Oh. Oh, my. I guess-"

"You? RACCCCE?! HA!" Snake laughed "I doubt this bucket of teeth-rotting sssspew can even make it passssst the sssstarting line."

"Just like you can't go a minuet without talkin' outta your butt?" Lumi shot back.

" _ **GUYS."**_

Everyone turned, Vanellope standing among the group.

"Look, it's nice that ya helped this kid with his kart an' all but…"

"What is it THIS TIME, Vanellope?" Taffyta rolled her eyes.

"Well…"

What WAS it this time? It wasn't as if Lumi had broken ANY rules or stipulations as there were none set up. Vanellope had made certain to ABOLISH every rule that kept people from racing and in the midst of her own rule she had a choice to make; either follow them or go back to the setting that Turbo had put in place to ban HER from racing.

 _And if there was one thing Vanellope didn't want to be like…._

"What is it Vanellope?" Taffyta asked again "What's tha problem 'bout Lumi racin'?"

"I just…I just want to make sure everythin' is safe."

"That's what TURBO used ta say ta us 'bout ya." The other girl said, studign her nails.

"I didn't mena it that way."

"Then what did ya mean?! Look, we did everythin' right! We didn't put anythin' illegal on it, it runs like everythin' else! It's just a kart like everyone else!"

"C'mon, Vanellope! Let him race!" said Candlehead, the others agreeing.

"It's only fair!" said Sticky.

"He's a racer too!" said Jubileena.

"Just let him try, darling. Just once!" said Sakura.

"I-!" the girl stammered, her head starting to pound "But he-!"

"There is no way he'ssss going to roll that DISSSSGUSSSTING kart near the Presssident!" Snake said, waiting for his chance to obliterate the thing.

"If there is anythin' DISGUSTIN' here-!" the boy shouted "It's _**YOU!"**_

"Hehe, assss if I care what some VIRUSSS-!"

"Ya can call me _**VIRUS**_ all ya want but at least I'm actually doin' somethin' ta help people here!" Lumi said "I'm not tha one goin' around, tellin' everyone that they don't matter, that they're weak, an' pushin' 'em around! _**I'M NOT THA ONE WHO'S THE BIGGEST BULLY IN THE ARCADE!"**_

Snake was ready to slash the boy into threads, his claws gleaming.

"I wonder if you can racccce as fasssst asssss you talk, PLACCCEHOLDER."

"I KNOW I CAN!" the boy shouted "AN-!"

There was a pause, everyone looking at the two and awaiting for something to be said.

Lumi knew he was taking a big risk but he had to. After everything he had gone through, after everything the others had done to help him-

He needed to do this. HE HAD TO.

" _ **VANELLOPE!"**_

"WHOA! What?!"

"I offer this!" the boy said "I wanna prove that I'm a racer just like YOU! Just like everyone else! If I win a race-!"

"Yes?" Vanellope said, arching a brow.

"If I win a race, I get ta be in tha next roster! For all tha kids ta see!"

"Wait, but-!" Ralph stammered "You're placement-! Will anyone think somethin' weird is goin' on?"

"They didn't think so when Vanellope POPPED IN after fifteen years." Taffyta said with a smile, knowing she had a card in play "What's ONE MORE racer gonna do? Give 'em TOO MUCH FUN?"

Vanellope didn't look at all happy but she could not turn away from such a challenge. Lumi was really testing her and so were the other racers. Their motives were still unclear but she couldn't run away from them. She had gone against the group for fifteen years to prove her placement with them and Lumi was doing just the same.

Only this time, it was up to **VANELLOPE** to make the final choice.

"Okay." The girl said "Ya can race an' if ya win against ME, you'll be on tha roster but-!"

"BUT-!" Snake rushed in, yanking the boy off the ground by his collar "If you LOOSSSSE, that kart issss assss good assss destroyed and you're _**OUTTA HERE!"**_

"SNAKE!" Vanellope cried back "I am _**NOT**_ going to kick Lumi out of here an' I won't smash his-!"

"D-Deal!"

The girl gasped, as did the other children. He struggled in the grasp of the large character but he refused to give up, to back down against a scaled bully.

"Lumi, no!" cried Candlehead "It's not worth givin' up your kart!"

"An' don't trust him!" scowled Taffyta "Say yes ta this, Snake is bound ta cheat an' get ya _**HURT!**_ "

"I can handle this tub'a scales…" the boy chuckled to himself, glaring the boss in the eyes "Pastillis never give in ta _**BULLIES**_."


	20. Chapter Nineteen- Race or Break

Chapter Nineteen- Race or Break

"Eighty-one! Eighty-two!"

"Close to another record!" said a little mouse as she hung onto the iron bars of the weight set, a large rat sitting on the weight bench.

"I'm not in tha mood for breakin' records…." The rat said as he continued to exercise "I just need…I just need…"

"Need what?" asked the mouse curiously as she hopped off the bench and landed next to her friend "You've been rather MOUSY for the past few weeks. What's been goin' on?"

The rat didn't even finish to ninety, instead putting the weight back into place as he lay on the bench. Why did she have to ask that question? He had done a well enough job distracting himself from the drama that was floating around the arcade but as his friend asked him, he knew there was no way he could keep the truth from her any longer.

"Hey."

He looked over at the little mouse, her whiskers twitching in worry. The rat felt as if the coils of Snake were already around his neck but as he looked around he remembered that he was safe within the walls of his own game, among friends and away from the pressure of the other bad guy.

"Can ya keep a secret?"

The small mouse nodded her head, her hands clutched together; finally she was getting somewhere with her game-mate.

"I've been thinkin'…." Continued the rat "'Bout somethin' a certain bad guy's been doin'."

"Is it Ralph?" asked the little mouse, Rat shaking his head.

"Nah, but it's someone who sticks ta his side faster than a super glue trap." Rat went on, making certain that no one else in the weight room could hear them "It's-!"

"SNAKE!"

Rat let out a rather high pitched yelp and fell over on his back, another lanky rat poking his head around the corner, his hands clutching the telephone.

"Snake's callin'!"

Rat felt as if the entire room were spinning, a deep feeling of doom welling up in the bottom of his stomach.

"Wh-what's he callin' for?"

"He wants ta see ya at Sugar Rush!" said the skinny rat, the other two rodents hearing some yelling through the end of the telephone "Somethin' 'bout a race he wants ya ta see!"

"A race?" blinked Rat, rightfully confused as he took a gander at the clock.

The rodent had been dragged to and from the game so many times he knew the racing schedules by heart, the hands showing him that it was far too late for the roster race to go on.

"Ah-huh. Yeah. Oh, REALLY?" went on the skinny rat, listening in on the conversation.

"Well, what's goin' on?" asked the female mouse, climbing on the back of Rat's shoulder to get a better view.

"Snake says that there's ta be some sorta big race between tha President an' some new green kid or somethin'." Said the thin rodent "An' a BIG wager's been put on tha table!"

A wager?

Rat could only moan; there was no way he could RAT his way out of this as he was certain the reptilian bad guy would hunt him down just so he could get a front row view of the action. Begrudgingly, he went for his jacket and slogged out of the room.

"Tell 'im I'll be there in five."

And it wasn't just Rat who was invited. Thanks to certain 'connections' and the rapid-fire speed of which word traveled through each game soon EVERYONE in Litwak's knew of the race that was happening and before anyone knew it, Sugar Rush was filled to the BRIM with characters from nearly every game around.

The stands were packed and a massive roar echoed across the land, all for two racers.

Pastilli Gumbettino looked at the crowds from his spot on the track, bewildered by the sheer size of masses around him.

"I know I can remember what tha crowds looked like from tha stories…." He said to himself "But they've _**NEVER**_ looked like this!"

" _ **LUMI**_!"

The boy turned, the other Sugar Rush racers running up to him with Candlehead leading the way.

"C-Butt!"

"Lumi, ya got time ta back outta this!" Candlehead pleaded "I gotta bad feelin' 'bout this! Even worse than eatin' TEN jumbo banana splits with hot-sauce 'n peanut butter!"

Lumi frowned and puffed out his chest; he knew the conditions he made for the race were high but there was no way he was going to back out now! He wanted to show Vanellope and Snake just how much of a racer he was and more than that, he knew that if he were able to clench a victory it would be a victory for the other racers as well.

"Don't worry your head about a thing, C-Butt." The boy said with a sense of pride bouncing in his voice "No matter what happens an' no matter what that gob face tries ta do, I KNOW I'm gonna come out on this! I'm a racer ya know! This should be easy peasy, lemon squeezy!"

"I don't wanna sound like I doubt ya either…" said Taffyta, eyes darting about "But…but maybe we jumped in this too soon."

"Taffyta! Don't tell me ya don't believe in me either!"

"It's not that!" the girl said, her voice breaking "It's just-!"

She looked back at the crowd, so many eyes peering down at them and even from afar she could tell that they were not cheering their graces towards the boy nor them. Nearly the entire stadium was choked with supporters of Vanellope, her name ringing around everyone and given how a few rowdy guest behaved whenever _**THEY**_ won, she knew that things would only get worse for Lumi.

The boy had made a promise though and a BIG one at that. He was risking his status as a racer and his kart as well in this and part of Taffyta DID want to see him wipe the floor with Vanellope…

But the other part of her was dreadfully worried. She still didn't know what would happen to Lumi should he be in an accident on the track. She knew that everyone else could recover, that they would reset if things got dicey Lumi was another case? She was still worried about his code, that any chance of it being erased meant losing him forever…

 _As well as their chance of uncovering the rest of their hidden memories._

"Taff, I know I can do this."

The strawberry racer peered at Lumi, his smile not making her feel any better. She knew there was no way of stopping him, no way of convincing him otherwise so there was no other point.

"O-Okay…." She groaned, putting a gloved hand on her forehead "Just watch out. I wouldn't put it past Snake ta try ta CHEAT."

Taffyta shot her glances towards the grandstand, Snake of course close to Vanellope with a few others, the group hearing his sickening cackle from afar.

"You've got thissss Pressssident." The creature hissed, giving the girl a pat on the shoulder "There isssss no way that sssssomone of your calibure can lossssse to a pathetic little nosssse wiper like h-"

"Can we just get this race started?" the vanilla racer grumped, sitting heavily in her kart as she started the engine "I wanna get this over with."

"Kid, are ya sure you're up ta this?"

Vanellope looked over at Ralph, the man filled with all flavors of worry.

"Ya KNOW I got this." The girl responded "What? Ya don't think I can do it?"

"What would give ya that idea?" Ralph asked, feeling even more worried than before "This race though! It-!"

"What is it, Stink-Breath?"

Ralph didn't want to say it, he didn't want to admit it but for the first time since that dangerous race with Candy, the big man was scared.

Something didn't sit right with him about the entire set up and surprisingly, the involvement of the other racers had nothing to do with it.

There was just something so unnatural to everything that was going on. Something so dark and unsettling about the purpose of the race and Vanellope's take to it. It felt like she no longer had a choice, that she was no longer racing FOR HERSELF but rather for someone else.

"Snake believes me." Vanellope growled as she shot Ralph a miffed look "Why don't ya?"

"I do, I do!" Ralph said again "But are ya sure this is what ya wanna do? I know ya love racin' but this? All'a this?"

Ralph spread his arms open, the measure of the crowd ALARMING.

"Vanellope, think a bit before ya act. This could put YOU an' that kid in dan-!"

"That kid?" Snake hissed, crossing his arms against his chest as he glared at the Wrecker "You mean that bully? That cheat? That virussss?"

Ralph felt his throat go dry as Snake spoke, an uncomfortable stir hitting him as the term VIRUS was thrown at him again.

What made Snake so certain that this was true? And why of all times was Ralph feeling bad NOW?

"Jusssst let her racccce." The creature smirked "It'll give your friend a chance to sssshine and sssshow thosssse TWERPSSSS their placccce!"

"It's what I gotta do." Vanellope grumped, Ralph surprised by her change of mood "They asked for it, so I'm givin' it to 'em."

"That'ssss the sssspirit, Pressssident!" Snake cheered as he watched the racer take her place at the starting line "That is how a TRUE leader actsssss!"

The man in red was left in silence as he watched his friend leave, the worry only growing.

What had Vanellope gotten herself into?

" _ **LAAAAAAAAAADIES AND GENTLEMEN**_!" cheered the marshmallow announcer "I hope you've found your seats because this race is about to _**GOOOOOOO!"**_

The crowds cheered wildly again, waving their banners and flags in support of Vanellope. Down below the other racers felt so small, not a single supporting coming to their side and even the usual candy spectators were hushed out and scared, not a single one of them cheering as the outsiders covered their voices.

" _I wanna go home, I wanna go home…"_ Candlehead moaned, pulling her hat down.

"What we have here is a FIRST, ladies and germs!" the announcer continued "We have a race for the ages! A duo duel of deliciousness! We have President Vanellope Von Schweetz going up against new comer-! Pastilli Gumbettino!"

Lumi felt a prickle going up his spine; he remembered this. All of this! The way his name was called to the tracks, the way he would rush down and greet the spectators!

"This is how it was…." He said to himself "This is how it w-!"

 _ **BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!**_

 _Maybe not._

The boy huddled down as he heard the wave of boos hurled towards him, his head turning towards the stands to see the wall of characters standing up and thumbing him down.

It was inescapable, so many faces and voices jeering him, a clear indicator of just how welcomed he was on the track. Vanellope looked on but even she couldn't push away the awful feeling she was getting. She remembered those many years she was on the run, when people would run in fear of her but to hear the booing, and coming from people who had many times told her that they supported her?

This didn't feel right.

In the stands, Ralph and the others sat and they two felt bogged down and surrounded by the negativity. Ralph felt tiny and out of place among the crowds, some of the faces he knew and had several good times with but to see them booing on a kid so badly?

GET OFF THE TRACK!

VIRUS!

PLACEHOLDER!

BULLY!

 **BULLY!**

 _ **BULLY**_!

Ralph had thought the arcade had moved on from this, that they had learned their lesson after his escapades in the game but as he was slowly starting to see their discontent of bad guys had just been passed onto another target. Another target who didn't have the means or support to fight it back.

"GO, LUMI! GO LUMI!"

A little voice.

Vanellope and Lumi turned, seeing Candlehead, her colors and brightness a massive spot in the middle of everyone else, jumping up and clapping her hands.

"G-GO! Go Lumi! Y-Ya can do it!"

She may have been only ONE but she was one voice that was starting to break through many. Taffyta could only look at her friend with wide eyes, the girl still jumping up and down.

" _Candlehead-?"_

"I-I know you can do it, Lumi!" the girl cheered again, her candle throwing off sparks "I know ya can do it!"

"Candlehead!" Taffyta said, still amazed and crouching a bit from the crowd "What are ya-?"

"H-He'd cheer for me!" the cake girl said "So-! So I hafta show 'im I think he can do it too!"

Despite it all, despite being woefully outnumbered Candlehead continued to cheer Lumi on. Both he and Vanellope looked on in awe at the tiny girl as she jumped and cheered about, her bright cheery colors contrasting against the shadows of the others in the stands. Calhoun and Felix looked over, hearing the little voice carry upwards to where they sat.

"Wow." Said Felix, tipping his hat up "Miss Candlehead's sure gotta lotta energy!"

"Doesssss sssshe think ssssshe'ssss helping?" Snake scowled, the sight of the girl serving as an irritation "Doessss ssssshe think her cheerssss matt-?!"

" _ **GO LUMI!"**_

Another voice had joined in, those next to Snake looking down to see-!

"Taffyta?"

The strawberry racer felt her legs wobbling like Jell-O under her but she knew she couldn't leave her friend alone. She balled up her hands, brows furrowed against the opposition behind her.

"L-U-M-I!" the girl began, pumping her fist in the air before jumping up and spinning "What's that spell?! LUMI!"

Candlehead smiled, clapping her hand together as she waited for Taffyta to land, draping her arms against her shoulder and joining in on the dance.

"L-U-M-I! He's so fast, we cannot lie! Lumi! Lumi! GOOOOO LUMI!"

The two jumped in the air together, sparks and stars going everywhere.

"Hey, HEY!" shouted Snake from his stand "Cut that out you bratssss! NO one wantssss to ssssee-!"

"YEA, LUMI!"

"GO PASTILLI!"

"GO GO GUMBETINO!"

Before Snake knew it, the other racers began to cheer on the new boy, the lot of them joined in together and despite being outnumbered by the crowds for Vanellope they continued to show their support. Neither of the drivers knew what to make of the show but it was definitely something that stood out against the masses.

" _Guys?"_

Lumi gulped but there was a twinge of happiness rising from within. He could not believe that they were cheering him on like this. He knew some of the other racers were still skeptical but it was amazing. It felt wonderful, it felt like HOME.

Before Lumi knew it, he swelled with great pride. The energy could not be contained and as the others cheered he lept into the air and did his signature pose and move, the other candy racers cheering even louder with more added on from the tiny candy NPCs.

"YEAH YEAH!" sand Taffyta as she began to rouse the little candies "Show 'em what ya got! Show 'em you Sugar Rush PRIDE!"

The candies, whether they belonged to Taffyta, to Crumbellina or to ANYONE began to sing, cheer and spin. They were no longer afraid to show their support for their racers but in this case their support went to LUMI as he now stood for the entire game.

And that was what hurt Vanellope the most.

She looked at the crowds, the hundreds of eyes that were looking down at her and it hit her; she wasn't racing for herself, she wasn't racing for her friends, she wasn't racing for Sugar Rush.

She had NO IDEA who she was racing for anymore.

Sugar Rush now looked to have sided with Lumi, the unknown kid that many days before had embarrassed her greatly in front of the others and it burned her to the very core of her code.

This was HER game, not his. This was HER home, not his.

Those were HER FRIENDS, not HIS!

 _But_ ….

It had been a long while since she and the other racers had treated aech other like friends…

"RACERS! To your marks!"

Red light.

"Get set!"

Yellow.

" _ **GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**_!"

GREEN!

The sound of screeching tires filled the air as both Vanellope and Lumi took off at breakneck speeds, the shinning bits of sugar still floating in the air.

"Ooooh, please don't get hurt! Don't get hurt!" Candlehead meeped, her eyes going to the jumbotron.

Ralph and the others had their sights locked on the two, the first turn taking them right into the middle of Sour Straw canyon. The roads were rough but Lumi hung on, clutching onto the wheel and making sure that he didn't lose control. Vanellope on the other hand was well versed on the course, having maneuvered her way through the patch hundreds of times before.

"But he's catchin' up…." Vanellope said, seeing Lumi creeping behind her.

"An' Von Schweetz has an early lead!" said the announcer, the crowds cheering as they watched the girl on the trno "But Gumbettino is catching up! Seems that this GREEN HORN isn't as GREEN as he seems!"

"Ya think he can make it?!" Candlehead said to Taffyta, the girl nodding.

"I know he can! He's a racer just like us!"

"Yeah, but even if he has his code he doesn't know tha roads as good as Vanellope does!" said Swizzle in worry "An'-!"

Taffyta looked over to the boy "An' WHAT, Brain-Boy?"

There was a moment of hesitation, Swizzle trembling a bit "All his data, his memories! They were put in before tha game was FINALIZED!"

"So, what does that have ta do with anythin'?"

"Who knows if tha roads he remembers are even in tha game!" the boy said "If he goes by his gut, it could spell disaster because nothin' is tha same!"

Taffyta felt as if the ground had opened up under her, the realization of the danger Lumi had put himself in coming at her fast. She quickly turned back towards the tron, seeing the boy starting to struggle on the track.

"He's losin' ground!"

Indeed he was, the boy caught through the sharp twists and turns of the spiraling track that he could not remember.

"Whoa, WHOA! What is this?!"

Vanellope grabbed an easy lead, her tires kicking up sharp spikes of sugar and sending them back towards the boy and clouding his view.

"Urgh! When did they put this in?!"

The crowds were going wild at the battle, even if it had only begun.

"Haha!" laughed Snake "Sssshow that placccceholder who'sssss bosssss! Break him to BITSSSSS!"

"Man oh MAN!" said Calhoun, standing up and far too excited to sit back down "This is just road ONE too! I hate ta see how things are gonna turn once tha road REALLY starts ta heat up!"

The fight on the track was only starting to heat up, Lumi struggling to find a place to keep the kart stable but it was becoming harder and harder as he had no idea where to turn, where any open spots were so he could lay a trick.

"N-No!" he shouted to himself "Keep your eyes on tha bait, Lumi!"

He had to focus, to keep his mind on the drive and off of the distractions around him. He managed to get a view out from the massive kick-up in front of him, noticing a narrow gap coming up.

"Ah-HA!"

Thankfully for him, the shape of his kart proved to be a blessing for the boy. He picked up speed, reeving up hard enough that his kart could slide on the wall, the round corners of the kart allowing him to slide next to Vanellope-!

"HUH?!"

And SNATCH the lead from her!

"HO-HA!"

"What a turn of events, folks!" said the marshmallow announcer as several camera-mallows took shots of the race "It seems that Gumbettino has finally gotten a hang of tha track and gave us a nice look at a few tricks up his sleeves!"

"NO!" shouted Snake in disgusted, hissing loudly "That-! That wasssss a foul! ILLEGAL MOVE!"

The crowds began booing in agreement with the Snake but there was no buzzer, no offending flags thrown.

"For those in the audience-!" said the announcer "Moves such as performed by our golly green gent ARE fair play in the game! As long as you stay within the perimeter of the track, it is not a foul!"

The booing only grew, Snake cursing to himself as he struck the guide bar of the stands. Ralph and the others could see him from afar, the little man in blue crossing his arms.

"Well, we can see someone isn't in tha sportin' mood."

"Givin' that guy, I doubt he ever had one." Said his wife, pondering what other reactions Snake would soon show off.

Focus returned to the two on the track, Vanellope now caught BEHIND Lumi as the track narrowed.

"Well, guess it's time ta pull out my favorite…."

 **GLITCH**!

In a flash, Vanellope **GLITCHED** past Lumi and once more took the lead. The crowds back at the stands cheered wildly as they watched the move while the racers below were less than thrilled.

"I hate that move!" Taffyta said "HATE HATE HATE IT! It's the biggest cheat in the game yet she's PRAISED for it because 'IT'S SPECIAL'!"

"Well, don't count Lumi out yet." Said Snowanna "If WE can counter it, I'm sure he can too! ….hopefully."

"GLITCH, GLITCH! USE THE GLITCH! GLITCH, GLITCH! USE THE GLITCH!" sang the crowds, their energy greater than that to power the game itself.

Indeed the glitch was a move that severed to give Vanellope more than her share of an advantage over the other racers but Lumi wasn't out yet. After seeing the others being countered with it and then accused of cheating when they countered it, he wasn't going to LET himself be beaten by it.

"I don't care how much Von CHEATZ cries that her glitch is FAIR." The boy growled "She wants her MOVE? Well, I'll show her mine!"

Lumi looked down at the controls of his kart, his mind racing to push the right button. He then took a quick glance ahead, seeing a massive hill coming their way as well as some SEEKERS popping up.

"Yes!"

The road began to widen, allowing Lumi to move next to Vanellope again. Picking up speed, the boy pulled up next to her.

"Hey, Von CHEATZ!"

The girl refused to answer, her eyes narrowed in anger.

"Ya got a flashy car an' a flashy _**GLITCH**_." The boy spat out "But they ain't no substitute for _**REAL TALENT!"**_

Just then, the boy forced a sharp turn, casuing the kart to skid much to Vanellope's surprise.

"What is that kid-?!"

Vanellope was distracted, the girl looking forward and nearly running into a split in the road!

" _ **AAAAH**_!"

She GLITCHED again, though in her rush she did so BACKWARDS and missed the row of Seekers completely. Lumi on the other hand managed to pick up speed once more and rushed into the first one, his kart armed!

 **MOLASSES MAYHEM!**

"Alright!" the boy cheered "This is for C-Butt! An' tha rest of tha gang!"

Vanellope realized what was about to happen, the girl GLITCHING constantly to get back into place but even though she was able to correct the position of her kart the many glitches in a row had left her dizzy and vulnerable. The crowd gasped in shock, Ralph standing on his feet in terror.

"Vanellope! Watch out!"

But it was too late for warnings. Lumi aimed his cannon and shot the Molasses shooter at the girl, her kart struck-!

And slooooooowed dooo _oooooown….._

"Heh, guess ya gotta glitch but you're effected by everythin' else, JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE!"

Vanellope tried to say something but her words came out in a long, slow string, Lumi driving past her.

"OOOOOOH! A Molasses Mayhem!" the announcer said "Can ya guys hold your breaths for thirty seconds? Because that's how long it's gonna take for Von Schweetz ta get FREE!"

"Holy-! Tha kid knows his stuff." Calhoun said in surprise, Ralph still worried.

"Oh man, oh man, OH MAN!"

"Ralph, calm down! You're actin' as if this is her first race!" said Felix as he pulled the man down "She's gone through HUNDREDS of races before an' we KNOW she can make it outta it!"

Vanellope COULD make it….but at this point she was so FURIOUS at being caught that she could not wait for the effects of the Seeker to take its course. She tried to glitch through it but as Lumi had said, no matter how many times she glitched it was still running through her code, she just could not force it through.

She glitched again and again, wanting nothing more than to break free from the effects but the more she glitched-

"uuuuuuuuUUUUUUURGH!"

The more unstable her kart became. The sparks and flashes became more frequent, raw code showing through her and her vehicle.

"Von Schweetz is still fightin'!" said the announcer "Let's see if she can serve that up once she gets her speed back!"

"Have…have ya seen Vanellope glitch like that before?" asked Candlehead.

Taffyta knew she had; before Vanellope could control it, before she learned how to use her glitch against the others she would glitch like that and nothing good came from it.

This wasn't good.

"And Gumbettino is headin' towards Cracker Jack Canyon!" screamed the announcer "He's got a good lead on Von Schweetz but it's still anyone's race!"

Vanellope could still hear the yells of the announcer and the crowds from where she was and after a few seconds-!

 **DA-DING!**

She was free!

"AND THERE'S VON SCHWEETZ, BACK IN ACTION!"

The crowd gave a roar once they saw Vanellope taking full control of herself again but her driving was wobbly, her tires screeching loudly on the candy track.

"What's happenin'?" panted Ralph, feeling as if he could pass out at any moment.

Vanellope felt dizzy, unsteady. She tried to focus on the track but it was blur.

"Urgh, stay focused! STAY FOCUSED!"

She SLAMMED the gas on the kart and took off, wanting to catch up with Lumi.

The boy knew he was still in the midst of a battle, his eyes and ears kept open for Vanellope as he knew she would be on him soon.

"Gotta time everythin' right….." he mumbled to himself "Von Cheatz can launch that stupid glitch at any moment an' steal tha lead but I can catch her, use it against her!"

 **KA-BOOM!**

" _ **YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAURGH**_!"

A massive explosion hit beside Lumi, the boy feeling his kart lift a good YARD off the track.

"What was THAT?!"

The boy then looked to the side, seeing the lines of caramel and sticky melted sugar coming down around him, some puddles bubbling over. Once more an explosion rang out beside him, massive kernels of popcorn shooting into the air before crashing down around him.

"WHAT'S THIS!?"

"Looks like Gumbettino has been caught off guard!" said the announcer "The young boy is having a bit of a conundrum in the canyon!"

"Oh NOOOOOO!" mewled Taffyta, pulling her hat down as the warning from Swizz sprung up before her "Was there a Cracker Jack Canyon in Lumi's version?!"

There was not for the boy found himself trapped amongst an unstable road with an even more unsuitable kart. The roads were extremely hot and the pits of molten sugar sent giant clouds of steam in the air.

"Urgh! I can handle tha heat-!" he said "But-! But tha roads! They're too sticky! They're too hot!"

His kart began to slow, the gummy wheels effected by the environment. He knew his kart could take SOME heat but not like this!

Vanellope's on the other hand-

She had been through enough tracks to know where to utilize her moves, her speed, her strength. She watched as Lumi struggled and fought to gain control over his kart, the wheels of the vehicle wobbling the softer they got.

"Okay, Pest-tili!" she growled "Time ta pay ya back for that trick back there!"

 **GLITCH**!

Vanellope once more glitched, rolling past Lumi and gaining speed!

"I need ta get back on course, I can't let her beat me!" the boy shouted to himself but it looked as if things were turning sour, Vanellope having both the advantage of knowing the track and her glitch.

He couldn't give up, not with all that was at stake! He needed-!

" _ **COVER**_!"

And it was there right before him.

As the popcorn was falling from the sky, tiny bits broke off and floated on the track the boy getting an idea in his head. He then began to swerve, using the stickiness of his tires to pick up the popcorn and with the weight of the kart they would FLATTEN and ADHERE into place.

"Hmmm, seems that Gumbettino has a plan in his head!" said the announcer "If only I knew what it was exactly!"

"What _**IS**_ he doin'?" asked Minty, jumping up and down. Taffyta looked on but her eyes grew bright, letting out a cheer.

"Wow!" said Gloyd, coving his ears "What's got YOU so ex-?"

"He's usin' tha kernels ta protect an' reshape his wheels!"

"Wait, what?"

"Those gummie tires don't have a CHANCE in all that heat!" said the strawberry racer "But if he found some way ta COVER 'EM-!"

"He can gain some ground again!" finished Swizzle, his mind LOVING the idea "Yeah! YEAH! GO LUMI! GO LUMI!"

The other racers began to cheer again as they watch Lumi regain his control over the kart and speed off. Cracker Jack Canyon continued on but there was one road left to be taken; Brownie Boulevard.

"Aw man, he caught up!" Vanellope said as she noticed the pop-corn covered tires "D-D-Don't let 'im get ta ya! Ya still got a chance ta push 'im back!"

"Not a chance!" Lumi said to himself, more determined than EVER to claim victory over the Sugar President. This time he wasn't going to let himself get distracted, to let an unfamiliar track scare him.

"This time, it's for all tha sprinkles!" he growled, the RUSH hitting both he and the girl.

Everyone was on baited breath as they watched the two go toe-to-toe, bumper to bumper, sweet to sweet! Just when it seemed that Vanellope would take the lead, Lumi would counter and when it looked as if HE would hold onto it, Vanellope would respond!

 **GLITCH GLITCH GLITCH!**

She kept using the glitch more than ever, jumping up ahead but Lumi kept going, kept catching up.

"H-How can he do this?!" the girl panted, surprised that anyone would gun for her in such a manner but then she stopped, remembering that there was one other person in the game who went after her so hard.

 **TAFFYTA**.

Taffyta was the only one who did not fear the glitch, who _**FOUGHT**_ the glitch, who could _**BEAT**_ it when it came so close.

And it made Vanellope shiver.

"I'm not losin' ta some virus!" the girl shouted to herself, unaware that her voice had carried over so well that Lumi could hear.

"I AM NOT A VIRUS, GLITCH!"

"I AM NOT A GLITCH!"

 _ **I AM A RACER!**_

The two did not realize their words had come at the same time, Vanellope getting so angry that she hooked a sharp right-!

" _ **AUUURGH!"**_

And SLAMMED her kart against Lumi's!

"I am not a glitch!" she screamed, trying to drive Lumi out of bounds "Do ya know how long I had ta SUFFER!? HOW LONG I HAD TA LIVE BY MYSELF AN' BE BULLIED?! I'M NOT LOSIN' TA YA!"

"AN' DO YA KNOW HOW LONG I'VE BEEN STORED AWAY?!" Lumi shouted back "AN' WHAT YOU'RE NEW FRIENDS HAVE DONE TO ME AN' EVERYONE ELSE?! I'M NOT LOSIN' TA YOU!"

"STOP IT!" Vanellope cried "STOP IT, STOP IT, STOP IT!"

 _ **GLITCH**_!

Another glitch hit the game….but it didn't come from Vanellope.

The girl gasped and opened her eyes, the road ahead of her glitching wildly.

"What tha-?!"

She quickly pulled away but as she and Lumi continued to drive on the entire road ahead of them started to change and warp!

"What's goin' on?!" the boy cried out, the road underneath him going up and down, up and down!

"Seems that we've hit another snag, folks!" said the announcer "I-! I don't know what I'm seein' but tha entire road is startin' ta glitch out!"

Ralph and the others shot to their feet, amazed and scared by what they were seeing.

"It's like Turbo all over again!" said the Wrecker but rather than Cybugs another transformation took place.

Before the eyes of everyone in the game, Brownie Boulevard started to change, the road resetting and several other items appearing on it. Vanellope's jaw dropped as the decor appeared though she made certain to keep moving quickly as new turns continued to pop up.

"Is…is tha game resettin'? In mid-play?"

Lumi struggled but he managed to stay the course, his teeth jittering with each bump that came up.

"HO-HO-HO-HO-BOOOOOOOY!" he cheered "This is bumpier than ANY roller coaster!"

GLITCH!

Another glitch hit the game, signs starting to reappear on the side of the road.

"What-?!"

 **MALARKEY MOTORS!**

So it was true; the assets WERE buried in the game!

In the crowd, Swizz stood as still as a statue as the camera hovered close to the new sign.

"No….no way!"

 **GLITCH**!

Another glitch popped up, this one showcasing Sundae Sonata and a concert! Snowanna felt as if she could fall over, the drawing of her mother out for all to see.

More and more signs started to appear but as the two racers took notice, they seemed to only be signs off the racers who had already been 'unlocked'. In some portions the game continued to struggle as if there were assets missing.

"W-Wait!" Lumi said to himself, the signs coming on faster and faster as more things showed up around him "No! NO!"

Vanellope looked back, seeing Lumi losing control over his kart but what haunted the most-

"Pastilli?!"

The boy let out a scream, feeling as if the billboards and drawings were focusing on HIM. It seemed that no matter which way he tried to turn, no matter which way he looked something else popped up in his vision.

Memories started to flow back again but as had happened before on the searches….

Nothing.

Nothing of his.

The brownie track continued to manipulate itself under him but the gummie racer did not take notice. He COULD NOT take notice as everything around him began to warp and swirl before him.

"N-NO! WAIT!"

Vanellope could see the boy slowing down behind her but there was something more she was fearing, his kart veering out of control.

The crowds continued to watch on, the camera focused on him.

"LOOK!" shouted Snake as he pointed towards the screen "He'sssss sssstarting to loossse it!"

"LUMI!" shouted Candlehead in worry "please hang on, please hang on! You only have a few more yards before the finish line!"

Taffyta was silent, her heart beating a million miles as she could only dread what was to happen to the boy. Before she was worried that he was going to lose but now?

"Wh-what if he crashes?! WHAT IF HE GETS HURT?! WHAT IF HE DOESN'T COME BACK?!"

"CRASH, CRASH, CRASH!" jeered Snake, his cackling hanging in the air "CRASSSSH YOU LITTLE WASSSTE! CRASH!"

"NO!" bellowed Candlehead "Keep goin' Lumi! Keep-!"

 _ **CRASH CRASH CRASH!**_

"No, please!"

 _ **CRASH CRASH CRASH!**_

The entire crowd roused up in a massive fever, all of them calling for and awaiting the collision of the gummie racer. As they neared closer to the finish line, Vanellope could hear the crowds as well.

"Sweet MONKEY MILK!" she shouted, but a sharp pain went through her body.

 **GLITCH**!

" _ **AURGH!"**_

Both she and the boy were subjected to the painful glitches of the game, the track breaking apart behind them as he reset haphazardly behind them. Vanellope was still in the lead but the painful glitches rendered her unable to gain full control over herself, her kart starting to spin.

"Vanellope!" shouted Ralph, watching on helplessly as his friend spiraled out of control. Lumi was close by but his condition was far worse. All he could see before him was Snake, all he could hear before him was Snake!

VIRUS!

PLACEHOLDER!

DO YOU THINK YOU CAN DO ANYTHING?!

DID YOU REALLY THINK YOU COULD HELP ANYONE!?

"G-G-GET BACK!" Lumi panted "ST-STOP IT! STOP-!"

YOU'RE NOT A RACER!

"I-I AM A RACER!"

YOU'RE A VIRUS!

"N-NO! NO I'M NOT! NO I'M-!"

 _ **KA-KRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASH!**_

The sound of skidding tires and breaking candy filled the air as Lumi went headlong into a collection of lollipop trees! The crowd gasped as they watched the boy collided but none shouted louder than the other racers below.

"LUMI!" Candlehead cried in grief as she rushed towards the accident "Oh, no! LUMI!"

Vanellope felt something release from her head, the girl snapping back into her right mind as she took hold of the wheel-!

" _ **AURG!"**_

And crossed the finish line for a very clumsy win!

" _ **VON SCHWEETZ WINS!"**_

The crowd erupted into massive cheers as they began to flood the winner's circle, confetti and glitter raining from the sky.

"OUTTA MY WAY!"

" _ **OOF!"**_

Ralph bowled over several characters to make his way towards Vanellope, the girl still strapped in her kart and clutching onto the steering wheel.

"Kid? Kid!"

Her eyes were distant and vacant, her hands shaking as her body glitched.

"Oh coconuts, she's hurt!"

The girl turned around in a twitch, looking back towards the other as they rushed towards Lumi's crash.

"Mo-mo-mo-more-!"

"Vanellope?!" gasped Felix, just as worried as Ralph "What-?!"

"I-I-I s-sa-sa-sa-saw-!"

Vanellope was petrified, her words unable to come out as she wanted nothing more than to run back home, to hide from what was happening but she was trapped, a wave of 'admirers' starting to push their way towards her.

"That was awesome!"

"Ya took tha win right from under him!"

"I knew ya could beat him!"

"Hey, HEY!" shouted Calhoun, trying her best to keep the crowds at bay "Everyone, BACK OFF or you're gonna wind up with my gun down your throat!"

"TAMMY!"

"Okay, how 'bout a GRENADE. Those will slide down better!"

"Babe, just calm down."

Lumi lay dazed in his kart, the poor boy knocked cold from the impact.

" _Ooooh….."_

"LUMI!"

HE gasped, waking with a jolt to see the other racers gunning for him. At first he smiled, glad to see them all in good condition but then he remembered.

 _He had lost._

 _He had let them down._

He shrank back, trying to get out of his kart but his hands fumbled with the seat belts, his legs kicking about.

"N-no! Stay back!"

"You're hurt!" Candlehead said as she finally reached the boy "Oh my gobs! I can't believe ya made it outta there! What happened?!"

"I-I don't know!" the boy said, catching his breath "Vanellope an' I-! We-!"

The boy looked down, shaking his head; how could he explain it when even HE couldn't wrap his head around the events that had taken place on the track.

"Didja see 'em?!" he said again, looking at the others "Those-! Those signs! Tha way tha track went all bonkers 'round us! What-?! What happened?!"

"I'd say somethin' else reset, that's what." Said Swizzle.

"Yeah, but HOW?" asked Taffyta "All these other times, we had ta unlock somethin' or solve one of Tur-Butt's puzzles. All Lumi an' Vanellope did was RACE! How did that-?"

"Maybe…maybe it was his presence on tha track that did it in!" said Swizz, pacing about as his brain went to work again "When we all race, tha game keeps tabs on our scores, on our stats…an' seein' as Lumi's data is still part'a tha game, even if he wasn't put in tha final part-!"

"Ya think it was just like how tha game reset when Vanellope crossed tha finish line?"

Swizz nodded "Yeah! But I don't think tha game took it as well. I mean look at what happened!"

The group looked back towards the track, the path twisted and turned into a formation they could not remember or recall but the signs that aligned the path painted a new story. Taffyta furrowed her brows, doing her best to push her fear aside.

"If this tells me anythin' we still got a lot a do." She said in a tough voice "An' we need ta-!"

"Taffyta, stop!"

The girl looked over, Candlehead looking at her worryingly.

"Right now, we need ta help LUMI! He's hurt!"

"I-I can make it." The boy said, feeling a little sore but otherwise unharmed "'Sides, ya know I've taken harder hits than this! It'll take more than some stupid lollipops ta-!"

"SSSSSSSSSSTOP RIGHT THERE!"

The group cried out as a massive shadow loomed over them, others joining them.

"Don't you even more an INCH, VIRUSSSSS!" hissed Snake "We are not through with you!"

Taffyta quickly remembered the 'deal' that had been made between the boy and Snake and despite knowing the consequences that could happen should a promise be broken-

" _ **BACK OFF, SNAKE!"**_

She jumped in front of him anyway.

"Get out of my way, Muttonflub!" the creature hissed, sneering at the tiny racer "A deal'ssss a deal and the kart issss MINE!"

"I don't care what kinda stupid promise you made, there's been ENOUGH damage today!"

"Not to me, there hassssn't!" Snake cackled again as she shoved Taffyta out of the way "And I owe my FRIENDSSSS a little fun!"

The racers looked down, seeing a hoard of LARGER characters approaching them, armed and ready to turn the gummie racer's kart into smithereens. The gravity of his promise had come back around to bite the boy, wanting nothing but to protect his kart.

"NO!"

"It isssss only FAIR, PLACCCEHOLDER!"

"I swear, Snake! If you-!"

Before another word was uttered Taffyta felt herself swept away by Snake's massive tail as well as the others, the candy racers shoved off to the side as they could only watch as Snake's hoard seized on the candy kart, the reptile lifting up a crowbar as he readied to smash it to bits.

"Thisssss issss going to be SSSSSSO much FUN!"

"SNAKE!"

The creature stopped, turning back to see Vanellope looking at all in disbelief.

Boy, did this moment feel familiar and painfully so.

Only a year before did Vanellope find herself in a similar situation, the other racers destroying her kart and leaving her at their mercy but this time things had changed though not in ways Vanellope could have imagined.

She looked at the pile of racers, seeing them so helpless and weak compared to Snake and his group. They all waited for her word, her motion.

But she could do nothing. She was far too scared, far too frightened to say anything and more than that-

What side should she take?

"V-Vanellope!"

Taffyta struggled to get back to her feet, running over to the girl _**"CALL IT OFF!"**_

Vanellope looked as if she had just snapped out of a trance, looking right into the eyes of the frantic strawberry girl.

"W-What, HUH?!"

"CALL THEM OFF!" Taffyta shouted again "This-! This is goin' too far! Ya know it is!"

"But a promisssss issss a PROMISSSSE!" Snake laughed in glee, his followers chuckling as well as they watched the girl in pink scramble "He LOSSSST assss expected from the lot of you LOSSSSERSSSS! THISSSS wassss part of the deal!"

"Tha deal was no good from tha start an' ya know it!" Taffyta shouted as she marched back towards the group "Ya wanted ta wreck his kart from tha very start because ya couldn't stand it! Ya couldn't _**STAND**_ seein' us have fun an' enjoy ourselves!"

"Likely ssssstory, BRAT." Snake spat back, turning up his nose "I knew from the moment I looked at thisssss heap that it wouldn't even manage to crosssss the finisssssh line. What more could I expect from a bunch of SSSSSSHODDY no-bodiesssss and a character SSSSSSSO pointlessssss that even the programmersssss didn't want to finissssh him!"

Vanellope once more felt as if she had been slugged in the chest; everything that Snake was repeating were words that the other racers had told her so many years ago. That she was nothing, that she could not do anything, that as a glitch…she was POINTLESS.

Snake and the others laughed harder and harder at the racers, encircling them to prevent any escape and to keep Ralph and the others from noticing what was going on all the while Vanellope was locked on the outside.

"Thissss pile of junk issssn't even worth the sssscrap that it issss built from!" Snake laughed again "It'sssss TRASSSSSH, jusssst like it'sssss DRIVER!"

"N-NO!" shouted Lumi, getting on his feet as he attempted to fight back against the group but they were far too many of them and they were much too big.

"I think the green glob is gonna cry!"

"CRY TO HIS MOMMY!"

"HAHA! He doesn't have a mommy! None of them do!"

Try as he might, Lumi did indeed feel the tears starting to flow as he looked around, no escape to be found as he and the others were huddled closer and closer.

"N-No…." Vanellope meeped to herself "NO! NO! STOP!"

"Lumi!" shouted one of the larger characters "LOSER LUMI!"

"LUMI THE LOSER!"

"LOUSY LUMI!"

The laugher continued, getting louder and louder as it surrounded the kids.

"SHUT UP!" Taffyta roared, trying to fend off against the crowd "SHUT UP OR-!"

No matter what she did, no matter how loud she yelled, she and the others were trapped, enveloped by the darkness and vile that had invaded Sugar Rush. Candlehead looked to her side, Lumi ducked down towards theg round as he sobbed painfully, the girl seeing his tears hit the ground.

"I-I-! I'M a racer! St-stop! No!"

"And now to get rid of this trassssh-!"

" _ **NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**_!"

Once again someone had stopped the reptile before he could hit the kart, his eyes opening WIDE to see a tiny candle-headed girl standing before him, her arms out to protect Lumi's kart and a look of pure vitriol on her face.

Taffyta was astonished, never seeing her friend look so angry before but Lumi looked the most surprised of all.

"C-C-C-Butt!"

"Don't' even take another step, BUSTER!" the girl said towards the MASSIVE snake "Ya touch this kart, you're gonna get a REAL taste of what Candlehead Hanabi can do!"

"MOVE OUT OF MY WAY, PLACCCCEHOLDER!" Snake roared out but the girl slammed her foot on the ground.

"NO! An' I'm not a PLACEHOLDER either, ya BIG BULLY!"

The snake twitched, eyes narrowing "What did you call me?"

"I called ya a BULLY!" the girl shouted again "That's all ya are! Ever since ya slithered in here, ya've been treatin' my friends like rotten banana peels an' I hate it! HATE IT, HATE IT, HATE IT!"

"C-Candles, get back!" Lumi called back but the girl was unstoppable, the fire within her burning brighter than the flames atop her head.

"An' tha way ya treat Vanellope too! Ya don't care 'bout here!"

Vanellope slowly pushed her way through the crowd, saying not a word as she watched the mint-chip girl stand off against the snake.

"Candlehead?"

"Ya pretend that you're her friend! That ya think she's so cool! Ya try ta sugar coat it but I know what you're doin'!"

Vanellope heart beat loudly against her chest, the girl hoping that no one could hear it.

"You're just USIN' her! You're USIN' HER an' Mr. Wreck-it-Ralph ta bully EVERYONE! Vanellope is _**NICE**_ but you're usin' her ta be _**MEAN**_!"

There was a shared silence between everyone in the group, Felix looking towards the lot as he and the others tried to ward off the overly excited crowd.

"Kids?"

Snake glared at the tiny candle-headed girl, his cold blood starting to boil.

"Candlehead…." Vanellope said to herself, stunned by what she had heard "Do…do ya really think th-?"

" _ **YOU LITTLE PIECE OF FILTH!"**_

Snake reached down and grabbed Candlehead with his sharp claws against her face, the girl screaming.

"C-BUTT!"

"CANDLEHEAD!"

"You want to protect thissss kart ssssso badly?" the snake hissed, Candlehead kicking his hold "THEN TAKE IT!"

Time felt as if had slowed down around the racers, Lumi, Taffyta, and Vanellope looking as they watched Snake SLAM Candlehead down towards the ground. All three of the racers tried to run, tried to glitch, tried to jump to prevent what happened next but they were all too slow, all unable to save her.

Candlehead was thrown right into the front of the kart with TREMENDOUS force, everyone hearing her body make impact with the hard candy shell with a THUD, her body hitting the side of the door HARD before landing right at the feet of Lumi.

"CANDLEHEAD!" the boy cried out "OH-! OH MY GOBS, CANDLEHEAD!"

The candy racers looked down, the audience around them still glaring down at them as they rushed to their fallen partner.

"Candlehead, say somethin'!" begged Taffyta, hope coming to her once she saw the girl stir and move.

But they had not seen the damage.

A massive gash cut straight through the girl's forehead, another deep line going across her cheek, her hands scratched and blood slowly rolling down her pink skin. Taffyta felt her breath escape her, the sight of her best friend injured so horribly looking her right in the face.

Vanellope paled, her knees weakening underneath her as she glitched once more.

"C-Candlehead?!"

The girl said nothing but it was clear to everyone what was about to happen next. The pain was growing, the girl feeling the warm trickle of blood and the sharp sting of the cuts and bruises on her body.

" _heeeeeeeeeeeeeeee-"_

Her face wrinkled up, her eyes glossed over.

" _ **AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH**_!"

The dam had finally broken and Candlehead erupted into tears, the girl not knowing what to do as she lay in a heap of pain, tears mixing with the dirt and blood on her face.

"No! Candlehead, it's gonna be okay!" Taffyta shouted, not sure what to do but then she looked over, Vanellope running away from the sight as fast as she could.

Why?

Of all the times the group needed a leader….she had left them.

" _ **AAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!"**_

Snake let out a terrible guffaw, he and the others cackling at the broken girl before them.

"Well, perhapssss we HAVE found a usssse for you lot now!"

Snake slithered over to the group, crushing Candlehead's cap under his weight. The very sight of it made Taffyta's anger reach new heights, wanting nothing more than to break the reptile as he had broken her friend, Candlehead still crying loudly as she huddled next to the strawberry racer.

But then Lumi saw it.

In Snake's arrogance he did not notice that some of the cake girl's Seeker hoard had fallen from her cap, the colorful orbs rolling about on the ground. The boy spotted one, just one and he knew what to do.

"And now, before I was RUDELY interrupted…." Snake smiled, gearing up to wreck the kart "LET'SSSS-!"

 **PIXIE POWER POWDER!**

The boy acted as fast as he could, grabbing onto one of the orbs and HURLING it to the ground, the ball erupting and activing upon impact.

" _ **AURGH! WHAT-?!"**_

Snake and the others were blinded by the massive cloud of Pixie Stix powder, his throat burning and his eyes watering.

"What was-?!"

He looked around, finding that the racers, along with the kart had disappeared.

"How could they-?!"

"Ralph, let's go!"

Snake turned, rubbing his burning eyes and seeing Vanellope trying with all her might to pull Ralph and the others out of the crowd.

"Whoa, kid! What's u-?"

"HOME!" the girl cried, her skin still very pale as she looked about weakly _**"I WANNA GO HOME!"**_

* * *

"What are we gonna do, what are we gonna do?!"

The racers had fled to their hide-out in the words, Lumi's kart resting near the tree while they all huddled in fear within the folds of the branches.

"We gotta help Candlehead!" Lumi said in a panic, looking over at the bruised and dirty girl "She-! Look at her! LOOK AT WHAT SNAKE DID TO HER!"

"AS IF WE COULDN'T SEE THAT!" Taffyta shouted in rage, doing very well holding herself back.

"I told ya we should have taken her to see Mr. Fix-It." Whimpered Sticky.

"HA! Are ya kiddin'?" snorted Minty "Even if we did see Fix-It I betcha that Snake Skunk wudda been loungin' up in the palace! Candlehead wudda been in danger no matter where we went!"

"But she needs help!" said Torvald "Tha only thing we have that could help with his much is a Sweet Heal!"

"But we don't have any here." Said Snowanna as she dug through the Seeker stash the group kept hidden "An' C-Butt lost her hat anyway, an' tha only other place ta get on quick is-!"

In the code room.

Once more the group were reminded just how low they were on the chain of command in the game, the code room the only place they could get a Sweet Heal without going through the pain and time of finding one in the wilderness. The only problem was that in order to get to the code room they had to ask permission from Vanellope and THAT was out of the question.

" _ **UUUUURGH! DID YA SEE HER?! DID YA SEE HER?!"**_

"S-See WHO?" meeped Adorabeezle.

"VANELLOPE!" roared Taffyta, kicking a chair over "She saw Candlehead! She saw what Snake did to her an' SHE RAN! SHE RAN AN' LEFT HER LIKE THIS!"

Candlehead said nothing, instead turning her head away and giving a pitiful sniff.

"She knew what Snake was gonna do, she knew he was gonna hurt us…" the pink girl growled "An' she let him. She let him because she WANTS ta see us hurt! She wants ta see us like this!"

"Whoa, hold on a moment luv." Rancis protested "How…how can ya be so sure of that? I mean, even with some of he things that have come between us, what in the arcade would make you think that Vanellope wanted something like this to happen?"

"Do ya remember tha way she HUMILIATED us when she got her stupid princess status back?" the girl in pink hissed "Do ya remember her stupid little smirk, how she WANTED us ta get hurt?"

"That was a JOKE!"

"JOKE MY BIG PINK BUTT!" the girl shouted back "Look at what she's been doin' since she came back inta power! She's let a bunch'a JERKS come in here an' push us around, she doesn't do a THING ta clean up all the messes they cause an' when we try ta tell her, when we try ta warn her she IGNORES US! SHE IGNORES US BECAUSE SHE WANTS THIS TA HAPPEN! THIS IS HOW SHE WANTS TA GAME TA RUN!"

The group fell silent as they all cowered before the might of Taffyta Muttonfudge, the girl dropping all restraints.

"This is how things are now guys. This is how she wants ta game ta run an' she an' Ralph have shown us they'll say anythin' ta keep it this way."

"Taffyta, that's not fair." Said Nougetsia "I know you an' Vanellope have your differences but even this is stretching it too far."

"Look at Candlehead."

"I-I am but-!"

" _ **LOOK AT CANDLEHEAD!**_ " Taffyta shouted again "I don't care what anyone else says about how we treated Vanellope! Tha snot nosed lil **GLITCH** can't take mud but she can send her thugs to _**SMASH**_ us! _**TO BASH US! TO NEARLY BREAK OUR BONES**_ an' _**WE'RE**_ tha bullies?!"

Something had truly snapped within Taffyta, the girl seeing images of Vanellope in her sights and her FIST sailing into her face, turning the buck-toothed smirk into a crying maw. But she knew she couldn't let the girl win through her anger. As mad as she was she knew she still had to outsmart Vanellope but she wasn't going to let anyone else get hurt again.

Seeing Candlehead in such a condition was painful because she knew SHE could have done more too. If only she were fast enough, strong enough she would have at least done something to fend off Snake. Even if she got hurt by him she would have taken it, she would have rather taken the hit than let Candlehead.

Because she owed the girl. So many years, so many times Candlehead had defended her, had reminded her that there was something worth racing for.

And she couldn't even protect her.

"We have something…." Said Jubileena.

"That will help with Candlehead's injuries." Said Citrusella.

"So let us take care of her." The twins finished, the both of them going to the medicine cabinet and getting their gear. Everyone watched as the berry twins cleaned and patched up Candlehead's wounds.

"This will help to disinfect the area…" said Jubileena "It's made of a special kind of fruit Cissy and I grow near our home."

"And this will insure that the cut will heal properly." Said Citrusella, patching on a bandage "It is great for treating wounds."

Seeing that her friend was taken care of calmed Taffyta but it wasn't enough to erase the terrible feeling she had floating around in her stomach.

"Has things really come to this?" the girl asked, sitting down "We can't even live in our own home anymore without people treatin' us like this."

"An' ta think that King Candy was bad enough…" said Gloyd, his voice coming out gruff as he looked over at the mint-chip racer "But Nelly? She's supposed ta be our leader. She's from this game. It almost feels like she's makin' things-."

"WORSE."

Everyone looked over at Lumi, the boy standing near the corner.

"It feels like she's makin' things WORSE."

"Lumi?" Swizz asked "Aw man, don't tell me you're gonna go on a rampage too."

" _Since tha moment I got here…._ " The boy began "I've been told I'm not a racer, a virus, a placeholder….an' from what ya guys told me, Vanellope went through tha same thing but she was called a 'GLITCH'."

"Y-Yeah?" said Rancis "What's that got to do with anything?"

"She should know." The boy said again, his hands balling into fist "If she's this great leader that everyone keeps barfin' up, _**SHE SHOULD KNOW WHAT IT FEELS LIKE!"**_

Lumi SLAMMED his hands on the table, scaring a few of the others.

" _ **NOTHING' HAS CHANGED!"**_ the boy bellowed " _ **SHE'S ALWAYS BEEN LIKE THIS!"**_

"What do ya mean?" asked Snowanna, rightfully confused "Always been like this?"

"I know what it feels like. I remember every single thing she's said to me, every single thing she's done ta me. An' even back then she'd hide behind it. 'Scept this time she's got an entire arcade an' one big stupid bad guy lickin' her boots."

"Lumi?"

The boy looked at the makeshift map that the others had pinned onto the wall. As their adventures had continued, and as Lumi had relayed to them more information, the outlook of the map had shifted, the group going over the old lines that Turbo had molded to reshape the land that was once theirs. Seeing it made Lumi all the more angrier because he knew, despite what everyone else told him, there was more to Sugar Rush than this, there was more to Sugar Rush than Vanellope.

Yet there they were, reduced to hiding in a tree house while one sat battered and bruised at the hands of Vanellope's 'friends'.

" _G-Guys?"_

Everyone looked at Candlehead, the girl wiping her nose on her dusty sleeve.

" _I don't wanna."_

"Don't wanna what, C-Butt?" Taffyta said, quickly going over to the girl and putting a hand carefully on her shoulder "Tell us."

" _I don't wanna race anymore."_

It felt like a ton of bricks had hit Taffyta, to hear the girl say such a thing.

"No, no! Don't say that!" the strawberry racer pleaded "We'll-! We're gonna take care of this! Tha whole gang will get things back in order to-!"

"N-No!" Candlehead whimpered as she turned away "No, I don't wanna go back out there! I don't wanna race because he'll be there!"

"Who?!"

" _ **SNAKE!"**_

"But he'll-!"

"He'll keep comin' back." Lumi said "Because Vanellope's gonna let him. He won't stop because he knows he'll be backed up by her an' that Wrecker."

The game had turned ugly and this time it could not be blamed upon someone interfering with the game from within. Sugar Rush was rotting to the core and it was rotting away the further the racers strayed from each other.

" _They're both bad guys…."_ Lumi growled "An' from what I've seen. From what they've done ta us? Bad guys can never be good!"

* * *

"Well, that was yet **ANOTHER** disaster."

" _Uuuuurgh_."

Ralph placed his forehead on the window of the palace, looking at the dark and sullied track. No matter how hard he tried to convince himself, no matter how he tried to sway himself the other way he could not ignore Calhoun's words this time.

The race was a disaster and it was only made worse through the interference of the outside guest.

"Did anyone see where tha rest of the kids went?" Felix asked, looking worried "I was gonna see if they were okay but as soon as I turned my head, POOF! They were gone!"

"Yeah, I noticed that too." Said Calhoun "An' I know that creep was gonna do somethin' ta that kid's car but maybe they rushed off before he got a chance ta slice it up."

"An' that's for tha best."

Calhoun looked surprised at Ralph, not expecting him to actually agree with her for once on the status of the candy racers.

"Scuse me there, Red?"

"Did ya guys see how everythin' lit up back there?" the Wrecker said, rubbing his chin in worry "An' it wasn't just Vanellope that got effected. Luni, Loomzie? Whatever his name was? Did ya see tha way he started glitchin' on tha track?"

It was rather odd to hear Ralph talking in such away about the race, both husband and wife expecting him to lay some sort of blame on the kids but it seemed that things had changed, Ralph finding himself dragged further and further into the mystery of the game.

"Maybe he wasn't kiddin'…." The man in red said to himself "But….but I was certain that when Vanellope crossed tha line, tha game was reset one hundred percent! Could it be-?"

"Games hold many secrets."

The man turned, Felix sitting calmly.

"It wouldn't at all surprise me if there were still many things buried deep in tha code of this place, things that Turbo tried his HARDEST ta keep from everyone, inside and out."

"Tha kid said enough…." Said Calhoun "An' some of his words are startin' ta line up. Tha missin' bits, tha track. Everythin' he mentioned can be easily altered if one knows how ta do it."

"An' Turbo was in here long enough to 'improve' things along tha way." Finished Ralph "But why now? Why? After everythin' we went through, after everything Vanellope went through, why now of all times is this happenin'?"

"Tha kids went through their own private hell too, Ralph." Calhoun said "Even if it doesn't seem as 'bad' as Vanellope, just take inta consideration what Turbo did ta 'em."

Ralph stood silent at the window, skin going over with goosebumps.

"He robbed them of themselves." The Marine said "Even if they still bullied Vanellope, they had sense of their own world, their own stories, their own code. All they knew was TURBO an' what he told them, what he molded them into an' what he wanted ta do."

"Sarge…." Ralph said in a heavy voice, sensing that she was really effected by what was going on.

"It doesn't excuse them from bullyin' her, it doesn't. But they COULDN'T fight him off. No matter what tha end results were, EVERYONE here as under HIS control an' it's somethin' think people choose to ignore because THEY don't want ta look tha fool either."

"What do ya mean?"

"Did ANY of ya guys know that Candy was Turbo?" the woman said, both Felix and Ralph shaking their heads "Exactly. NO ONE KNEW an' I bet tha same people who are bullyin' those kids are tha same people who were buddy ta buddy with Turbo, either back in tha day or when he was Candy. They just don't wanna admit. They don't wanna admit that they were friends with some lunatic an' they had no idea what he was doin' ta this game."

"So when tha truth comes out…." Felix continued "They try ta paint themselves as unaware of tha whole thing an' erase their connections ta tha guy. Blame tha kids for not fightin' back an' projectin' their own embarrassment on them."

" **BINGO**." Calhoun nodded "An' there's one guy IN PARTICULAR who's tha KING a'all this."

"I know who you're gonna say." Ralph mumbled "AN' Sarge, I'm just warnin' ya know. DON'T ENGAGE HIM."

"I'm sorry but suggestin' that a me NOW? After what he's done?" the Marine said with a growl "Tha only thing protectin' him at this point is that we can't pin any crimes on him an' since Surge just can't ZAP himself in a game-!"

The woman growled, slamming a foot on the ground.

"Scale crusted CREEP. Even if I never met Turbo in my life, I get tha feelin' this butt-hole is tha remastered version?"

" **NO."**

Ralph and Calhoun looked down, Felix peering at the floor and clutching his hands tightly.

"N-No….don't….don't say that." The woman said "Snake is….he's a hard one but even with some of tha things he's done, he will never, EVER reach tha scale of what Turbo has done ta people."

"Huh, I DOUBT Snake has tha prowess ta take over a game-!"

"That's not what I meant."

Felix took a deep breath, trying his best to compose himself.

"Tammy? Ralph? What I say? I don't want it ta leave this room, ya got it?"

The larger characters nodded, Felix taking the lead.

"I saw what he did." The man said "Tha way he treated people, tha way he treated a lotta folks close ta me…I thought I was helpin' but I only ended up makin' things WORSE."

"Felix?"

"Do ya know how long I've wondered, Ralph? How much I've wondered if it was because of what I DID that led ta Turbo takin' over this game?"

"Honey, what are ya talkin' about?"

"There was a time I stood up to Turbo…" the man said "Because I had ta protect two people I cared for, two people he KNEW couldn't help themselves but then…."

Felix shook his head, the pain of the past too much for him to take.

"Snake has been actin' horrible an' we HAFTA do somethin' ta stop him because if we don't, NO ONE WILL. But for tha life of me, for all tha code in my body he is nowhere near as ruthless, as heartless an' as manipulative as Turbo!"

Felix's words ECHOED across the hall, the thin man panting once he let go of the vice but he felt ashamed, going back to his seat.

"S-Sorry for shoutin' like that."

"Nah, ya needed it." Calhoun said with a smile, wrapping her arms around her love "I'm just glad ta see you're still in a heroic mood ta fight all'a this."

"Sometimes I just don't know." The man sighed "Sometimes I wonder if it would for tha better if I didn't help anyone at all. If I dropped this whole hero thing because I'm not one."

"Now that's somethin' YA shouldn't say!" said Ralph "Don't let those creeps make ya doubt yourself for a second, brother!"

"But Ralph-?"

"Ya ARE a hero, Felix! I know ya might think it but ya have helped me an' Vanellope so don't-!"

"Wait…"

Felix looked about, realizing that one head was missing.

"Where's Vanellope?"

A sinking feeling hit Ralph's gut, the castle eerily quiet since the group had returned from the races. He didn't say a word, taking off for the girl's room.

"Vanellope?!"

The door was open but the lights were dark, the man's eyes widening once he say it.

"VANELLOPE!"

The vanilla racer lay on the ground, breathing heavily as her body flickered and glitched. Ralph dropped to his knees and scooped her ip, her body so light and lifeless in his arms.

"No! NO! Say somethin'!" the man begged, the racer still glitching "Vanellope, wake up! _**WAKE UP!"**_


	21. Chapter Twenty- Geography

Chapter Twenty- Geography

Lumi kept himself curled up on the makeshift cot in Taffyta's living room, both he and Candlehead sharing restless nights. The three friends once more decided to make the strawberry racer's home a base to plan their next moves but as well to keep a certain member of the party safe and, surprisingly, it wasn't the green racer.

Candlehead was far too frightened to return home on her own, fearing that Snake and his band would be there waiting for her to continue what they had started at the track. Taffyta was more than open to the idea of having the girl camp out but their sleepover wasn't one of fun. Lumi could see it in the girl's eyes that she was angry, hate filling every inch of her code due to what had happened and as far as he felt, Taffyta's emotions were well justified.

He knew he could take Snake's ruthless actions, having been on the receiving end of his fists TWICE, but to see how he treated Candlehead? To see how Snake just threw her with no regards for her wellbeing, to watch her cry as she bled had proved to him that Sugar Rush was no longer the sweet game he remembered and there was one person who was responsible for the sour turn.

Vanellope Von Schweetz.

He no longer cared; he didn't care what the so-called Turbo had put her through, he didn't care about the bullying she went through. After everything he had experienced, after what he saw the others going through he felt Vanellope could go the way of an obsolete system and disappear. She was no princess, no President, no victim in his eyes. He saw her run away when Snake had hurt Candlehead and all that told him was that she wanted all of it to happen. She wanted everyone to get hurt and as long as she rode her little sob story it was going to continue.

He _**HATED**_ Vanellope. He hated her with all his might.

As the dawn arrived in Sugar Rush the three continued to sleep, worry weighing them down greatly.

 _ **KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!**_

" _TAFFYTA!"_

The pounding on the front door continued, the strawberry girl stirring as she woke up.

"Huh?"

" _TAFFYTA! OPEN UP!"_

"W-wait." She yawned, the other two slowly coming to as well as they watched the girl walk to the front door. She blinked, trying to collect her sight only to see the frantic looks of a few others behind the door

"Guys?"

"Have ya heard?!" said Nougetsia.

"Heard what?"

"Turn on tha TV, turn on tha TV!" said Swizz, he and the others rushing into the tiny cottage.

"Hey! We all can't fit in here!" Taffyta huffed as she closed the door of her home, wanting no one else to spy on them. She then made her way over to the tv set, turning it on as the others gathered around.

"Breaking news!" said the reporter, the TV coming into focus "Health Crisis as the Candy Castle!"

"What's happenin'?" asked Lumi, he and Candlehead trying to get good views among the others.

"We are live at the Candy Castle bringing you the latest updates on President Vanellope Von Schweetz!"

The hair on the back of Taffyta's neck rose up, her eyes widening "Wait, what happened?!"

"Shhh!" said Snowanna "They're gonna say!"

"From the news we have gotten, the President has been stricken with some sort of code-depleting malady!" said the reporter as he looked at his notes "No words on what exactly has been going on but what we do know is that the President fell ill last night with this condition and is at this moment bed ridden with doctors on stand-by!"

The candy racers couldn't do anything more than look at the screen in complete shock. Only hours before there had been that awful tussle at the track but now Vanellope was ILL?

"We just saw her…." Said Crumbellina, her voice as steady as always but inside the worry was clear "She looked fine when we left her but she has now come down with a sickness? What if it is something terrible?"

"They said it had somethin' ta do with her code!" said Minty "Ya think all tha stuff Turbo did is comin' back ta bite her?"

" _ **WHO CARES?"**_

Everyone turned, Taffyta turning the television off as she walked back towards her room.

"But Taff-!" said Swizz, taking the remote to turn the set back on again "This is an EMERGENCY! Even _**YOU**_ hafta see that if Vanellope is this sick, she-!"

"Like I said. WHO. CARES." The girl replied, sounding angrier than ever "Lil glitch probably has a belly ache from enjoyin' all her victory cake from what her buddies did ta us last night."

Swizz was AMAZED, as well were a few of the others; Taffyta couldn't have been this cold, this mean given the situation at hand.

"Taffyta, don't do this." Said Rancis "I think-! I think something really bad is going on!"

"Then why don't ya go ta tha castle an' see for yourself, Flubbutters!" the girl spat "But don't get mad at me when they turn your butt around for not bein' tha right person."

"Listen to yourself!" the peanut butter racer shouted, stunned by how callous the girl was being "If this is about last night, then-! Just-!"

"If ya ask me." Taffyta said, brushing her hair, showing not a concern "Karma came back an' bit her right where she needed it. Candlehead gets hurt an' she runs? Well, let her get sick. 'Sides, I doubt she'd want ta have our presence ruin her day."

The others said nothing, the lot of them knowing that there was some validity to the girl's words. Even if they wanted to go to Vanellope to see her good will there would be far too many others to push them out. They had done so many other times so what would make this any different?

"Urgh, we're gonna hear these stupid updates all day." Taffyta said, once more taking the remote and turning the TV off "She's fine. I'm sure she'll be up an' annoyin' again in no time."

* * *

"She's going to need a lot of bed-rest…." Said the Hero's Duty op "No racing for a while until your code is back in good condition."

"But doc, what happened?" asked Ralph, sitting by his friend's beside in worry.

"Over-glitching, over-powering, over-stimulation of her code." The man said, nodding "It's a good thing your friend here withheld from hitting her with his hammer because that would have only made things worse."

Felix lowered his head in sadness, once more reminding that his magical hammer could not fix everything.

Vanellope lay breathing heavily in her bed, her limbs glitching and jittering but too weak to move on her own. She shivered with cold but was covered in sweat, her head pounding and her heart racing.

"Do ya think this had anythin' ta do with that race yesterday?" asked Ralph, Calhoun looking up from the status report.

"Perhaps, but if so it was only a small factor in all'a this."

"Are ya kiddin'?!"

"I've looked at tha report myself an' it all makes sense ta me, Red." The Marine continued "Vanellope's glitch has shown ta be a useful abnormality on its own but with everythin' she did yesterday, she nearly burnt herself out. She used just too much at once and nearly did herself in like Turbo wanted to!"

Ralph nearly dropped to the floor, his mind only imagine the worst part of what Calhoun had told her.

"Then-? Then she can't glitch anymore? Is that what you're tellin' us?!"

"No." the other Hero's Duty Op said "Once she is fully recovered, she can go back to glitching but she has to watch herself. She has a limit, in both usage and length, and if she over exerts herself she'll wind up in this condition again or WORSE."

"WORSE?" blanched Felix.

"Sadly, yes." Said the doctor "If things go too far, if she overloads herself she MIGHT self-delete."

Ralph was grief stricken as he heard the news; only a year ago had the two found a way to use the damage that Turbo had placed upon Vanellope as a good thing but now it seemed that the damage he had done was finally catching up, the girl now fighting life and death to recover, to live where she could once again function.

She still lay in the bed, having heard EVERY word that the doctor spoken. A tear ran down her cheek, the girl wondering just how much worse things could get. Outside the Presidential bedrooms she could hear the murmurs of the crowds, the flashbulbs of cameras and many-a voices chattering on and on about her condition but those were not the sounds that upset her the most.

Outside her window, right within earshot, she could hear them. The sounds of karts rushing down the track, of sweet wheels and engines roaring as they ran down the road.

The others were going on without her as they done before when Turbo was in charge. Once more Vanellope was laid up with an 'illness' that prevented her from joining the others. They were free to have as much fun as they wanted, to go about riding their karts but she was trapped, unable to move, unable to function.

Vanellope had never felt so horrible in her life but for others? Who knew what they were doing? Who knew if they even cared? After all, she hadn't seen any of the other racers make their way to the castle.

"Madame President?"

Ralph and the other adults turned around, seeing a form at the door.

"Billy!" Ralph said, feeling some relief come to him as the familiar gloomy face welcomed him "Oh, thank goodness it's you. What's-?"

"There seems to be a line…" the man interrupted.

"A line?" asked Calhoun.

"Yes, for Vanellope."

"Oh, for the love of-! Do they not know we have a sick kid here?!" the Marine growled as she stomped her way towards the door, only to be greeted with various characters all awaiting outside the halls.

"IS THE PRESIDENT OKAY?!"

"DOES ANYONE KNOW WHAT CAUSED THIS TO HAPPEN?!"

"ARE THE OTHER RACERS SUSPECTED OF ANYTHING?!"

"People, people, BACK THA HECK OFF!" the woman roared, her hands pushing forward "Man, it's good enough we can't hear that much in tha bedroom but can ya tone it down?! Just a BIT, huh?!"

"Sssssargent…."

Of course.

Calhoun scowled as she turned towards the source of the voice, her eyes meeting once more with Snake-Oil, the baddy backed up by various of his personal friends.

"We jussssst want to make ssssure that the Pressssident is alright. Isssss that a crime? Or do you assssume that ALL bad guyssssss like USSSS are going to causssse harm?"

The mics and cameras twitched, ready to capture any words to come from the woman's mouth but the Marine knew the tricks that the snake was trying to pull with her.

"Snake. She's, what? Eight? Nine? Do ya THINK with her status she needs ta be bothered right now?"

"Hmmm, the Sargent does make a good point." Said one of the reporters, quickly turning their focus on Snake "Why are you so hesitant to see her anyway?"

Finally the dial had been turned upon the reptilian, the creature feeling the cold stare of the cameras on him.

"Oh pleasssssse!" he huffed "Can I not vissssit a closssse friend when they are in need?"

"Ya can visit LATER." Calhoun said "Perferable when Vanellope has the strength to string some words together. Right now isn't good."

"But YOU'RE here, Ssssssarge. What givesssss you the excussse?"

"I dunno, maybe tha fact that I brought one'a _**MY MEN**_ here to assess everythin'? Does that suit your needs, SNAKE?"

The baddie growled, knowing that no matter what he tried to pull Calhoun wasn't going to stand for her. Perhaps if Ralph were in a better mood he would have back up but as it were, the man in red was in far too much worry himself to even come out of the Royal chambers, Snake now left to his own accord but this didn't mean he was beat yet.

He was determined to regain position with Vanellope, no matter the situation.

"Then allow me…." He said with a smile "To proposssse thisssss."

"Oh lord, what is it NOW?"

"Sssssince it ssssseemssss that you have thingssss taken care of with Vanellope, perhapssss I should help keep thingsssss in order outssssside!"

"Oh, don't EVEN think about it mis-!"

"What plans are these, Mr. Snake?!" rushed one of the reporters.

"Hey, wait now!"

"Consssssidering how much of a friend Pressssident Von Scheetzzzz hassss been to me…." The reptile began, making sure to play up the theatrics "I believe I should only pay her back the kindnesssss she hassss shown me! It issss sssomething I MUSSST do!"

Calhoun moaned and slapped her forehead "Oh, BROTHER."

"Assss I ssssstand, I promisssse not to let a ssssingle perssssson bother or aggravate her condition any further!" the snake continued "If I ssssso much asssss ssssee sssssomeone give her a funny look, they are OUT of here!"

"She has GUARDS that can keep care'a that." Calhoun quipped, not buying Snake's tale for a moment "An' I'm certain they can keep up with things much better than YOU, considerin' your own schedule, HMMM?"

"Oh, they will be SSSSSO bussssy! They NEED assss much help assss they can get!" the reptile retorted, press and reporters hanging on in excitement as the discussion continued "And bessssidessss, they might be a little TOO soft, no offenssssse."

"MUCH taken." Calhoun mumbled to herself.

"I KNOW I have a lot on my handssss given my own bad guy dutiesssss, but I'll ALWAYSSSS be here onccce the gamessss are over." Snake smiled oily "And I'll make CERTAIN that the wrong company is kept out of thissss wonderful palace and away from the Pressssident."

* * *

"It actually feels RERESHIN' here without Von Glitch muckin' things up." Taffyta said tartly as she rolled past the finish line, all a smiles but the sentiment wasn't shared.

"Taff, lay off." Said Snowanna "Vanellope's _**SICK**_ , for jelly's sake."

"An' like I said, it's her own fault." The strawberry racer snapped back "An' lemme say somethin'! If _**YOU**_ were sick, I KNOW she wouldn't show up! HA! If any of us were sick, I betcha she would have her stupid cronies find a way ta mess up our karts an' take advantage'a _**EVERYTHIN'**_ "

"I just don't think its right ta talk like this, okay?" the snow-cone racer said "I mean with everythin' that's been happenin'? I know I was glad ta get my house back an' all that but if all'a this is gonna split us?"

"It hasn't."

The girls turned, Lumi making his way up the track and he looked just as stern as Taffyta.

"It hasn't split **US.** " The boy said "Since we started this, I think ya guys have been gettin' back together like ol' times. It's _**VANELLOPE**_ who's tha one who SPLIT!"

"Oh, Lumi."

"She's tha one who gets upset whenever we find somethin' that belong ta _**US,**_ somethin' that doesn't have her grubby lil hand-prints on it. She's the one who's had her goons follow her only ta make things worse." The boy said "If there's a split in any'a this, she's tha one who's been tryin' ta make it."

"See? There ya go." Taffyta gave a nod, agreeing with the boy but the other racers were strangely quiet.

Lumi peered towards them, their expressions showing who was on his side even if their words were withheld. It was still uncomfortable though, perhaps because they felt that those 'cronies' of Vanellope were still around, ready to tell the President the chatter between them.

"Don't be scared guys…." Lumi growled "This is YOUR game. Ya can speak up."

"Not really." Mumbled Minty "Ya already know that."

"Snake's not here." Lumi smirked "Can't smell his stank anywhere around."

Finally some laughter rose from the group, the air around them starting to lighten.

"I betcha he ran all the way ta tha castle an' tried ta charge tickets ta see Vanellope." Guffawed Minty, standing up and doing her best Snake impression "HIIIIIISS! That'll be twenty bucksssssss to ssssee Vanellope because you're not on her besssst friend lisssst like ME! SSSEEE I even got a tattoo of her on my BUTT! An' every night I bend over an' kiss it! Mwa mwa mwa!"

The laughter grew louder, the kids slowly realizing just how silly Snake and his antics were.

"I bet he'll make a claim he can cure her!" laughed Sakura "Oooooh! No, it wasn't a DOCTOR who helped! It was MEEEE! ME ME ME ME ME ME! Me and my special Stupid-Head Snake Goodness powers!"

"What GOODNESS does he have?" laughed Taffyta, her sides aching "The only thing he's good for is showin' up ta cause TROUBLE."

"Heh, maybe more than that." Smirked Gloyd, the boy stroking his chin "He WAAAAS good for showin' up at our lil haunted house, wasn't he?"

The laughter reached a sweet high, the group never having felt so giddy in their lives. Even Candlehead had to join in, Lumi happy to see her smile through the bandages on her face.

"Ah-! AH!" the girl panted, trying to catch her breath through her laugh "Kukuku-KACHU! I'm tha flame girl! I will barbeque ya, Snaky!"

"Ya KILLED it with that, Candles!" Taffyta said, finally able to take in air "Didn't know ya had it in ya!"

"As tha sayin' goes, life's no fun without a good scare!"

There was something about that moment that brought a sense of home to Lumi, watching the others share in the fun that had been had during their little 'trick' those many nights ago. It only brought about him so many more of his own memories but he knew better than to try to share them, at least for now. There were still so many unanswered questions floating about and with things still sore from the attack the previous race, he knew it best to restrain himself.

"But hey." Said Swizzle "If Snake is gonna be busy up at tha castle, maybe that gives us some time ta do what we WANNA do."

Lumi looked surprised, having a feeling that the boy was talking about the rest of the game.

"Wait, ya actually wanna-?"

"Yeah, I know I do!" the lollipop boy responded "I mean, we can't IGNORE that massive road rage ya brought up from last night! Even tha players noticed it!"

"But they liked it!" said Minty, grinning from ear to ear "An HOOO-BOY! I did too! Whatever ya did back there, Lum? WHOOOSH! BAM! I've never felt a kick like that since that time I ran into a Pop Rocket an' Soda Soaker at tha same time!"

"What?"

"Don't ask." Giggled Sticky "You'll never hear tha end of it."

"Oh-Ho, so Mr. Brainbox wants ta do more…" said Taffyta "Heh, that sounds good ta me but maybe we should move outta tha garage if we wanna do some more, ahem, STUDIES. Ya know?"

The group nodded and slowly drove their cars away from the track, no one around the wiser to the plans they shared. Once the karts were safely locked up and tucked away, the trek began to the outskirts….and to the safe haven they all shared.

"I made certain ta bring PLENTYA ta eat this time!" Candlehead cheered, opening up a crate that simply SPILLED goodies from all around.

"Okay, I know this is our place ta go to in EMERGENCIES but c'mon! We're not gonna startin' hoardin' things here, are we?"

"Somethin' tells me that all'a this won't last two days. TOPS."

Candlehead blinked, looking at the others "Then I should have brought more?"

Once things had settled, and everyone had taken dibs on their favorite treats, the discussions had once more resumed. It seemed that every racer around had a job to do, each one determined to get it done. Gloyd was put in charge of cartography, giving Lumi lack of drawing ability, while Torvald was put in charge of keeping care of every bit of written information they could gather. Sakura knew how to work her way with cameras so she would take photos of any new landscape and creature should they pop up around them.

So many missions for so many racers!

"Kay, so what can ya tell us 'bout that whole shake up on tha track, Swizz?" Taffyta said as she bit into one of her chocolate puffs.

"I've made a few guess 'bout tha whole thing an' each one goes right back ta Lumi."

"Me?" the boy asked.

"Sure does!" the lollipop racer nodded "I all thought it had ended with how tha game was reactin' ta havin' your name an' data put into ta counter but I think it went far deeper inta it."

"What do ya mean, Smarty?" Minty asked with a huff "All we saw was tha whole track rumblin' worse than Candlehead's stomach."

"Imagine this…" the boy began as he took one of the candies from atop the mess table "See this thing? This is Lumi. Green, round, an' SOUR."

"'EY!"

"An' this candy is Vanellope…" the boy continued as he took another sweet and lined the two together "Since Vanellope's data was already implemented in tha game, even with her glitch, as she goes about tha game has no problem with it. Bzzzzzt, everythin' is fine!"

"Then what about Lumi?" asked Candlehead.

"Ah, see that's where tha good stuff, er if ya can call it that begins!"

Swizzle then took a jar of sprinkles from the shelves and dumped the whole lot onto the table.

"Whoa, I'm not cleain' this up!" Taffyta said in protest.

"An' THIS is what happened when Lumi took ta tha tracks!"

The boy looked on, only feeling the nervousness twitch all around him as he looked at the display. It may have been candy and sweets to everyone else but he knew in his own mind EXACTLY what it meant; glitches, errors and various other less than pleasant things. Lumi gulped, his fingers gripping tightly onto the side of the table.

"I-I didn't cause that much trouble? Did I?" he managed to whimper out, remembering all of Snake's insults towards him about being a glitch.

"It's trouble…" said Swizz but a smile formed on his face "But not tha type ya would think."

"Huh?"

"All'a this?" Swizz said as he gracefully placed his fingers through the sprinkles "This is all data, all data that had been blocked off an' locked up by Turbo! Data that hadn't been freed when Vanellope crossed that line! As soon as Lumi took ta tha tracks, I can only guess HIS data reacted with it, made it all come up where it should be!"

"Wow, he really did that much?!" Taffyta said, wide eyed "Heh, an' Vanellope thinks she's tha one with all tha po-!"

"Now lemme finish. Vanellope had a hand in this too!"

Candlehead looked up, the spark atop her candle jumping.

"Tha presence of both on tha track resulted in things comin' to. Lumi was part of tha key of course, but Vanellope's code bein' read CORRECTLY caused a lot of tha internal ruckus that ultimately lead ta everythin' twistin' n' turnin'!"

"Urgh, can we PLEASE get a translator for Swizzle?" Minty said before smacking the boy on the back of his head.

"OW! I won't have anythin' worth translatin' if ya keep boppin' me like that!"

"So them racin' TOGETHER is what did it?" asked Candlehead "An' it wasn't Lumi's fault alone?"

"Nah, an' as we saw tha damage that happened was more good than a lot of people are goin' on about! It may have been rough but those two rearranged tha course tha way it SHUDDA been than what Turbo MADE it out!"

"I wonder why he did it that way." Asked Snowanna, filled with curiosity.

"I can only guess because he didn't want any of ya feelin' all nostalgic if ya went through certain areas." Lumi said "When I was on that course, I noticed that I could see a lot of areas that SHOULD be your homes durin' my run!"

"REALLY?" Sticky beamed, inching closer to Lumi "What else did ya see?"

Lumi was starting to feel a little nervous with how close Sticky was towards him "Geeze, now I KNOW why we call ya STICKY."

"Tha roads, Pastilli." Taffyta said "What were ya gonna say 'bout 'em?"

"Oh, yeah. It was just so weird, even before those glitches started poppin' up." The boy continued "There were some parts I was able ta look up an see areas that were completely all flat n' stuff where houses shudda been an' all that. Places where ya guys lived! It was like Boo Town! Everythin' was outta order an' gone till we were able ta set it back right but in this case, I was on tha ROAD an' saw it."

"An' when tha glitches started-?"

"When I managed ta look up, things started goin' off in my head!" the boy said, spinning his fingers around his temples "It was just so-! Everythin' was so weird an' BOOM! Bang! I could see all these places, even if tha track itself wasn't in MY memories!"

"But it was in tha final cut…." Said Swizz "Only Turbo made certain to keep everythin' twisted an' harder for US ta figure out."

"Heh, maybe we should make Vanellope race with ya on all tha routes." Taffyta sniggered to herself "I'm sure there's a way we can entice her, without spillin' too much of course."

"No way, Taff!" pouted Candlehead "Vanellope is sick enough as it is! We can't just use her as a key an'-!"

"It was a joke, C-Butt. Don't flame out on us." The strawberry racer puffed out, rolling her eyes "'Sides, if there is anyone here GUILTY of usin' Vanellope, I think we can all agree who it is."

Minty wrapped a gummie snake around her fingers, slowly stretching it before making it break with a sharp SNAP.

No one needed to respond to _**THAT.**_

"I have an idea…." Swizz said "But we're gonna hafta be really hush-hush if we wanna get this goin' without YOU-KNOW-WHO findin' out."

"Spill it, Swizz."

"We don't have any good maps here, but I'm sure tha library does." The lollipop racer said "If we can get our hands on a few atlas, some road maps an' alla that we can see what Turbo really did ta this place an' I can finally prove ta ya guys just how mucked this game has gotten."

"Sounds like a plan ta me." Said Taffyta, all a smiles "We just gotta make certain tha attention is on VANELLOPE for once an' not on us. We have a break day tomorrow so a meet up?"

"A'course!"

"Then this is what we're gonna do…."

Hours passed before the sun rose in the arcade again, the game already swamped with spectators awaiting to hear the latest update on Vanellope's health and given that it was a SUNDAY?

People from near and far in the arcade made CERTAIN they were around.

But as predicted their attention was paid only upon the CASTLE and the people within it, not the track or the other racers. It was because of this lapse that the racers were able to make their way to the little library in the center of the village though they all made certain to keep careful NOT to arouse the suspicion of the other outsiders.

"Guess we're lucky no one wants ta sight-see." Lumi said to himself, pressed closely against Candlehead.

"What's tha matter?"

The boy blushed deeply and jumped back, finally realizing what he was doing "AH! Well, I was-! Er-!"

"You're not upset are ya?" the girl asked, looking rather worried.

"Me? Hahaha, a'course not, C-Butt! Eh, in fact I should be askin' YOU that question!"

"I'm not scared." The girl smiled, her smiling embarrassing Lumi quiet a bit because he could tell she was indeed not afraid "In fact, I'm kinda excited!"

"Excited?"

"Yeah! I love goin' on these adventures now! They're so much fun an' they're givin' me so much more ta do!"

Even with the danger that was posed in front of her, even with the threat of getting HURT, Candlehead seemed to bounce back to it and seeing it made Lumi feel a swirl of emotions. On one hand he was happy to see that Candlehead and her chirpy attitude had returned but he could only wonder if her attempts of bravery would get her into trouble once more as had happened with Snake. The bandages on her face were still the only thing he could see and it reminded him that she had only gotten so hurt because she had attempted to defend HIM.

"Candles…."

"Yeah?"

"Just….just be careful." The boy said, frowning "After what Snake-Breath did. I just don't wanna see ya hurt again."

The boy could see Candlehead blushing slightly, her hand reaching up for her bandaged cheek.

"I'll be fine." She said, a little shaken but her feet continued to carry her forward " _E-Even if he's still around…."_

"Look alive, we're here!" declared Taffyta.

"Gosh, I 'member this place bein' so much bigger." Lumi said as he looked about, making certain to keep his voice down enough.

"Maybe it WILL get bigger if this place resets." Taffyta said in confidence as she led the others towards the door but as soon as she opened it her demeanor changed, the others following suit.

The racers went into single file, keeping their eyes forward and their mouths shut. A few other candy people were dotted about the building but things were so silent that even a dust ball could have fallen and EVERYONE around would hear it.

Lumi held his breath, keeping down the temptation to look towards the main desk where a rather large and frilly dressed candy person sat, a book clutched tightly in her hands.

B. Brittle.

The boy gulped, once more reaching for Candlehead's hand and clutching onto it.

" _Almost in the clear, Lumi! ALMOST!"_

" _Taffyta."_

Torvalds's voice came out in such a thin little voice Lumi almost didn't hear it. He opened one nervous eye, seeing the girl in yellow whispering something to the strawberry racer. Taffyta nodded, the other girl leading the pack now.

" _Where is she-?"_

Suddenly, the once 'small' building seemed to grow around Lumi as Candlehead pulled him forward. The shelves twisted and turned like a maze, the group of racers snaking around as they disappeared within a forest of books until finally-!

" _Shhh!"_

Torvald had lead them to a little nook in the far corners of the establishment, a little hollow behind the shelves as the books served as walls and covers.

"This is probably tha BEST place ta go ta read if ya wanna avoid Miss Brittle." Said Torvald, her voiced raised a little more.

"What's tha matter, Lum?" Minty snickered as she looked over at the pale boy "Somethin' tells me that Miss Brittle was part'a your memories too."

The boy gulped, rubbing his knuckles as they suddenly felt sore "Boy, WAS she!"

"I guess some things never change!"

"Okay, guys don't go off just yet." Said Taffyta "We still got a plan ta go through!"

"Right, tha atlases! Tha maps!" Lumi said.

"I can take care'a that too!" smiled Torvald, waving her hands towards her sisters "C'mon, I'm gonna need all the strength I can for this!"

"Hold on a sec, Tori. Ya said YOU could take care'a this." Minty huffed "NOW ya need US?"

"Will ya just come on?"

A few moments later the triplets returned to the group, each one carrying an array of maps and other information books with them.

"That was fast." Joked Taffyta.

"Tha bookworm over here led tha way." Minty said, laying rest her massive stack of books "Don't ask me how she was able ta get past Brittle."

"Are ya sure this is it?" asked Swizz "These are tha only books of maps ya could find?"

"Swizz, there's like fifty bajillion of 'em here!" said Minty "How is that-?!"

"Some of 'em are missing." Sticky interrupted.

"Missing?"

"Yup! A lotta blank areas an' books standin' in for others! I mean, it makes no sense! Miss Brittle makes for certain that EVERY book her is called for an' up to date!"

"Yeah, even I can 'member that." Said Lumi, thinking back to the many times he could see the peanut brittle librarian making her arounds and reminding people to be careful with the collection "There's no way in tha furnace ya could even make her do somethin' so sloppy."

"I smell another Turbo plot." Taffyta said.

"Of course, but right now let's focus on our books." Swizz said as he jumped into the pile and pulled one out, thumbing through the glossy pages "Man, this one is already set to the default. I don't see any changes an' tha Brownie roads are set ta tha way they were when Turbo was in charge."

"Same here!" said Snowanna, adjusting her glasses "An' what's more, check this out!"

The group moved over to Snowanna's book, all of them seeing Candy's grinning mug at the bottom of the pages.

"Hmmph, seems ta me that Vanellope didn't do that great of a job cleanin' house." Taffyta muttered.

Swizz shook his head "Hoo-boy. This is gonna be a long one, I can tell."

The group continued to go through the books but as they all expected, the blocks were already put in place. Book after book showed nothing more than the Turbo-twisted version of their games, maps reset to what he had put in and information once more slipping from their fingers. Even when Torvald went out to grab more books on her own what she brought back was the same; Turbo-approved books, ones that Lumi did not remember.

"These were all part'a his reimagin'." Taffyta said "Stuff we thought was part of tha game since this is what he WANTED us ta remember."

"But don't you find it rather odd?"

All eyes turned to Ranics, the boy pondering deep thoughts.

"We have these books here but didn't you say there were some MISSING, Tori?"

"Yeah, a whole lot of 'em!"

"And Miss Brittle hadn't rearranged the shelves even though they were already out of order…."

Swizz started to pick up on Rancis' suspicions, a grin forming on his face.

"Hehe, shall I be tha one ta pick it up from here?"

* * *

" _ **MISS BRITTLE! MISS BRITTLE!"**_

The candy lady slammed her book on the ground, a low growl rumbling in her chest as she turned her head slowly towards the source of the noise.

"If there is one thing I have told you munchkins again and AGAIN…." She hissed "Do NOT RAISE YOUR-!"

" _ **MISS BRITTLE!**_ " Sakura said, falling to her knees and pressing her hands against her cheeks " _ **SOMEONE HAS TAKEN ALL THE BOOKS ON GAME THEORY AND SET FIRE TO THEM IN THE BACK!"**_

UH-OH.

Forget about noisy children!

Without wasting a moment, Miss Brittle tore off to save the precious books but the moment she was gone-

"Gimmie one sec!"

Swizzle jumped upon the woman's seat and typed away on her keyboard as he shoved something into the old drive.

"C'mon baby!"

Flickers went off on the screen as the computer made a low droning noise, the little candy device of Swizz' blinking bright colors.

DING!

"Hey, let's go!" the boy called as he tore off, the others dashing out of the other exit. They made their way to their karts and then drove off, Lumi catching sight of the peanut brittle librarian putting out the remains of the fire herself.

"Man, gotta cut it to tha lady. She'll REALLY go in ta save books!"

Gloyd smirked as he held one of his firecrackers in his hands "Awww, she won't be so upset. After all, just a lil flames an' a few old phone books finally put ta use."

It didn't take long for the group to make it to Swizz' garage, the boy rushing to his computer and plugging the little device up.

"An' let's see what we can find."

Rows and rows of listings appeared on the screen before the group but it seemed only a few knew exactly what so many words and names meant.

"Oh, I know that one!" said Torvald.

"And that one seems familiar too!" said Rancis.

"Haha, just as expected!"

"Mind ta tells us what's goin' on, SWIIIIIIZZ?" mocked Taffyta.

"If I didn't know any better…." The boy said, swirling around in his chair "We have a list of books that Turbo must'a confiscated in his tenure here."

"Confiscated?"

"Yup!" the brainbox continued "All'a these books are listed as either IN or MISSING. An' their placements line up with tha empty spaces an' all tha spots were other books were put in."

"So he took 'em!" said Taffyta.

"But what would Turbo want with a buncha books like that?" asked Nougetsia, trying to get a closer look at the screen.

"Maps held tha key ta ensurin' he could always win EASY." Swizz said "He'd be able ta study tha roads in a way we never could. On top'a that, if he KEPT certain books away from us while slippin' in his dummy ones, he could ensure we never knew what he was doin'. Add in a few memory slips ta keep even ol' Brittle from noticin' tha missin' books an' ya got another way Turbo was able ta keep things under our nose!"

The group were shocked as the revelation came about them; once more Turbo had managed to go beyond to keep his secret to himself and the racers unaware of what was going on.

"So even if Vanellope were able to get into tha library, all she'd see were the dummy books as well." Said Taffyta "She'd be in the dark just like US!"

"Ya say that as if that's a GOOD thing, Taffyta." Swizz replied "What gives?"

"Oh, nothing." The girl said, curling her hair between her fingers "I was just thinkin' 'bout somethin' else."

"But that leaves us one thing." Said Rancis "Where are the REAL books at?"

"Turbo could have destroyed them…." Swizz said "An' I mean in a way they wouldn't have come back if Vanellope got her position back but even then that would mean gettin' rid of somethin' that gave him tha key ta remoldin' this place. Turbo was desperate but he wasn't completely STUPID."

"So they could still possibly be around, but where?"

"Tha dump?" asked Candlehead "That's where we found Lumi an' I betcha there's tons of other things still there?"

"Seems a bit of a bold move, darling." said Sakura "Even if he wanted to keep us from them, I don't think he'd put them somewhere that would mean he'd have to dodge all those HORRIBLE monsters and-!"

"THE LIBRARY!"

The group turned, Torvald and Rancis once more aligning their thoughts together.

"Um, but we just LEFT there." Said Taffyta "Don't tell us ya want us ta go back an'-!"

"No, no, no!" Torvald said, shaking her head "Not THAT library!"

"The ROYAL Library!"

The other racers GASPED in shock, the very mention of the place nearly knocking them over.

"OF COURSE!"

"NO WAY!"

"It has to be!" said Rancis, feeling as if he were floating off his toes "Think guys! Turbo was ALWAYS antsy about people touring the castle, especially OUTSIDERS and what was one place he always made certain guards were placed? Somewhere rather ODD?"

"The library doors!" gasped Taffyta, feeling a spark going off in her head.

"Yes!" continued Torvald "It was the ONE place out of everywhere in tha castle he never allowed ANYONE to go into!"

"No one?" Lumi asked, glancing over to Taffyta, the girl crossing her arms.

"Not even ME." She replied "He was always so co-co and sweet anywhere else, remindin' me how I won another race but even when I asked NICELY he never gave me a chance ta go inta tha place. NEVER."

"Have ya been in since Vanellope got back in charge?"

A glum silence befell the group once more, their heads lowered and colors starting to dull once more. Lumi got his answers through their motions, another sign that things had not sweetened as they were said once Vanellope was reinstated.

"She made a lotta promises…." Said Candlehead "Maybe we put too much on her."

"Puh." Taffyta snorted, shaking her head.

"But she seemed so happy to do things with us…." The cake-themed racer continued "We made all these big plans! It sounded like fun but-!"

"But she never came through!" interrupted Taffyta.

"Taffyta!"

"Ya wanna know how long it's been since we stepped foot in that stupid castle?" Taffyta said, a hardened look about her "Upon until YOU came about? I can't even COUNT tha months."

"But why?" asked Lumi.

"Ask her new 'FRIENDS' because they're tha ones who have been pushin' us out."

"As much as I hate ta say it, Taffy's right on that one." Said Swizz "Those first few weeks when Vanellope came back were sweet enough I guess but when Snake an' his followers came in, they more or less BANNED us from tha castle!"

"Why?!" Lumi said "This is OUR-!

The boy paused, catching himself on his words; OURS?

"This is YOUR game! Your HOME! They have no right ta direct where ya can go or whatever!"

"Well, apparently they CAN." Said Torvald "Since Vanellope doesn't seem to care about it. We told her countless times but she never fixed it. Even when Mr. Ralph is there with her, it seems like all those request or things we told her got pushed back."

"It's because she doesn't care." Said Taffyta "I keep tellin' ya guys but ya didn't listen ta me before."

Adorabeezle ducked down shyly "M-maybe we just hoped…."

"HOPE didn't get us anywhere, at least anywhere GOOD." The strawberry racer said in a sharp tone "An' right now we're lookin' another task that leads us back ta a place no one wants us near."

"But I KNOW tha books are there!" said Torvald "I can feel it in my code, Turbo's hidden the books in the library, someplace even Vanellope doesn't know."

"An' how are we gonna get 'em?" asked Taffyta "Tha palace is backed up ta tha BLOCK with visitors an' I know our heads are gonna stick out no matter which way we go about this!"

"We could always say we wanted ta bring Vanellope a present." Candlehead said, hopefully "Once they hear that they should let us in?"

"Really, C-Butt?" Lumi said "'Member what happened when ya tried ta bring your gift basket over? What Snake did ta ya THEN, when Vanellope WASN'T sick?"

The girl shrank back, the event still very fresh in her mind "W-Well, I just thought-"

"There's no way ta sugar coat it; no matter what's goin' on, no matter tha situation, even if Vanellope hasn't made tha orders out we're still barred from that stupid palace." Lumi grunted, sitting down roughly in the big arm chair "An' like Taffyta said, that place is gonna be packed even when tha arcade is closed. Tha second they see us tryin' ta come in, they're gonna flip!"

"Maybe…."

Everyone turned, two yellow colored racers thinking diligently.

"We need ta do a **RECON**." Said Torvald, grinning from ear to ear.

"We need to do a little spying." Said Rancis, trilling his fingers together deviously.

For once, Taffyta felt a chill going down her spine as she looked at Rancis; this wasn't good. The two yellow racers snapped their fingers, pointing up towards the sky.

" _ **WE**_ can get into that library!"


	22. Chapter Twenty-One- Homelands

Chapter Twenty-One- Homelands

Vanellope lay in her large bed, chilled with fever but sweat beading on her skin. Her limbs felt so heavy and her head throbbed and ached. Never in her life in the arcade had she felt such a sickness before, jolts of pain prickling on her skin with each uncontrolled glitch that went through her pixels.

She couldn't control them, couldn't get them to stop, completely helpless to the powers that had once been praised to her, something she now wished to rid herself of.

Why wouldn't it stop? Why couldn't she stop it? She had such control over her glitches before but now it was worse than when Turbo had run the game. In the past her glitches NEVER hurt but they had brought her back do to the lowest of lows.

And right outside, she knew the others were going on with her, racing without her, living on without her.

Through her pain she frowned, gripping the blankets but they slipped from her grasp as she glitched once more. She could only think of what the others were chatting about as she lay in the palace racked with sickness. She saw Taffyta's face, the white-haired racers cold frown peering down at her.

 _Pathetic._

" _N-no, stop."_

 _After all of this?_ _THIS_ _is who we're supposed to see as our_ _PRESIDENT_ _?_

" _N-no, NO! I'm not-!"_

 _You ARE an accident waiting to happen, Von Schweetz. It was just a matter of time before I KNEW you'd glitch out on us._

The fever was making Vanellope delirious, eyes shut tight as her heart raced. She was angry, glitching worsen than before as she saw the racers turn their backs and leave her.

" _N-no! Don't leave! I'm your PRESIDENT! You can't-!"_

 _AW, shaddup!_

Who was that?

Through the darkness, green began to appear, a new form standing before her.

The new kid.

The so-called racer.

 **LUMI.**

He smirked at her evily, eyes glowing with malcontent as he hivered over the sick racer.

 _I told ya, I knew everythin' 'bout ya, PRINCESS._

" _NO you don't!"_

 _You're weak!_

" _NO, I'M NOT!"_

 _You're USELESS._

" _NO! NO!"_

 _Ya never cared about ANY of 'em. But now they're MINE. They're MINE PRINCESS an' there's nothin' ya can do about it!_

" _Stop it! Stop is VIRUS!"_

 _I'd rather be a VIRUS than some stupid GLITCH. At least as a VIRUS….I can take this whole kingdom down an' every one of your stupid FRIENDS with me!_

" _Don't do anythin' to em! NO, NO! STOP!"_

 _Why should_ _YOU_ _care? YOU'RE the one who abandoned 'em!_

" _N-no! I didn't!"_

 _Liar._

" _NO!"_

 _LIAR!_

" _NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"_

The little racer felt as if she had screamed but her voice came out in such a tiny, weak little moan. No one could hear it, no one knew of the torture going through the game's President code.

No one knew as Vanellope was now alone.

* * *

"We're gonna be short four…." Said Taffyta, taking steady breaths as she went over the plan in her head "But we still have enough ta carry it as needed."

Candlehead looked down at the floor in shape, tucking one foot on top of the other "Sorry…I-I'm still kinda nervous goin' out there like that."

Taffyta gave her friend a concerned look but quickly tipped the brim of her hat down; she couldn't show weakness now.

"It's fine, C-Butt. Ya know ya can sit it out as long as ya can…."

The cake-themed girl shuddered again, turning towards Lumi. He didn't know what to say, only that he knew he couldn't leave the girl on a thread.

"Er, yeah! As Taffy said!" the boy said, trying to be as chipper as he could be "J-Just know! _**I'LL**_ help ya get back inta gear."

"Ya don't hafta do that…" the girl said "Ya've already done so much for us an'-"

"It's not enough."

The girl looked up at the boy, his head low.

"I got ya hurt, people still don't believe us an' I haven't found enough clues ta prove I belong here." The boy said "It's just not enough."

Now Candlehead felt the urge to comfort Lumi, the girl feeling a warmth rising in her heart.

" _ **AHEM**_."

The group turned, Rancis finally arriving with Torvald in tow.

"'Bout time ya showed up." Said Taffyta, some of the nervousness breaking away "I was gonna send a search team after ya an'-!"

The boy quickly revealed a massive piece of paper from behind, placing the folded item onto the table.

"Sign it."

"What is it?"

"It's a get well card…." The peanut butter racer said, his voice said "And we all going to sign it."

"Wait, a get well card?" asked Minty "Is this for-?"

"Vanellope? Yes." Rancis nodded.

Taffyta looked surprised, studying the item further. Rancis wasn't kidding considering how professional it looked but why-?

"Why in tha arcade do ya want us ta sign this?" the girl asked, feeling miffed.

"It's a safe guard…" the boy said, watching the others make their way to the piece of paper "One, in case Torvald and I come into trouble, I can at least use this as a means of telling someone the reason we're at the palace. The moment they see we're giving Vanellope a GIFT, they may back off."

"'Course they would…" Lumi snorted "So long as someone is pamperin' tha PRINCESS…"

"Lumi."

The boy looked down, Candlehead motioning towards him.

"What?"

"You too." The girl said, brows folding to show how serious she was "We're all gonna sign? That means ALL'A us!"

"Aw, but C-Butt!" the boy protested "Tha last thing Von Schweetz would want ta see is my name on that!"

"Yeah!" nodded Taffyta "If anyone else in her lil circle sees his name on it, they'll think somethin' is up."

"It doesn't matter…" said Candlehead, standing her ground "An' that goes for YOU TOO, Taffyta!"

" _ **ME?!"**_

"Yeah, you're gonna sign too!"

"But this is just a dummy!" the strawberry girl mewled "What's it matter?"

"Taffyta listen."

Much to the strawberry girl's surprise, Candlehead took her hands TIGHTLY and pulled her off to the corner.

"Ya see tha look on Rancis' face?"

"Huh?"

"Look at 'im!"

Taffyta peered around the corner, catching some sadness about the peanut butter racer. Rancis always had a dapper and refined air about him but the way he looked, so paled and worried, told Taffyta another story.

Was he really _**THAT**_ worried about Vanellope? And did the card hold another significance.

"He wants her to know we care…."

Taffyta looked around again, Candlehead glaring at her as the light from her candle illuminated her in a way she had never seen before. Even if the girl was _**TERRIFIED**_ of going to the races due to Snake, her inner code towards her feelings of the others could not be stopped. Though she kept it to herself, Candlehead had some pride in seeing that despite it all Rancis still wanted to give Vanellope his best and as the others signed the card it showed that they did as well.

To Candlehead this was a sign, a sign that there was still some loved shared between all the racers for each other that Snake and the rest of the arcade had not yet destroyed. She KNEW that the arcade wanted to sit and watch the group DESTROY themselves one by one, using the kids as pawns for their own sick pleasure but to see that they were fighting against it, that there was still friendship within them.

That was what Candlehead had wanted all along. That's what she had always hoped for.

"I know ya care…."

Taffyta arched her brows "'Scuse me?"

"I know ya care, Taffyta. I know ya do."

"Hmmph, even so what does it matter?" the strawberry racer said "All they're gonna do is say-!"

"What do _**YOU**_ wanna say?"

Taffyta fell silent again, Candlehead taking her hand gently and walking back to the front with her.

"What do ya _**REALLY**_ wanna say, Taffyta?"

"I wanna tell Vanellope ta STAY SICK." The racer grumbled "Stay in bed as long as she wants because tha races have never been-!"

Candlehead pressed a thumb between Taffyta's brows "No ya don't."

"Yes, I-!"

"Taffyta." Candlehead said, her voice breaking "DO YOU?"

The pink racer was bad, she was upset but….

But…..

 _But_ ….

She thought about it, more and more. She thought about Vanellope lying in bed and the images began to flash before her. She imagined her with an ice-pack and a thermometer, looking silly but second by second….

It got worse.

And worse.

And worse.

Her throat began to feel dry, imaging herself standing before the girl as she lay in bed, sick with an unknown malady and with those venom filled words still on her tongue.

Could she still say them?

With Vanellope at her worst, could she still say them?

Taffyta felt alone in the room, as if all the other racers had disappeared. Before her lay the card, the multicolored scribbles of the others laying before her.

Even LUMI'S signature was there.

 **EVEN LUMI HAD SIGNED THE CARD.**

But she had not.

The racer gulped, she shook; would it even matter in the end WHAT she did.

 _I KNOW you're my friend Taffyta!_

What?

Another flash popped before the girl's eyes, something feeling as if it escaped her chest.

"Taffyta?"

She came to, seeing the others before her, the lot awaiting her words. But she didn't say anything this time. Instead, Taffyta took one of her favorite strawberry scented glitter pens…

And signed the card.

Candlehead smiled, Rancis smiled; she had done it.

"Now…" the boy said as he took the card and put it in the envelope "NOW we can head out."

The racers then made their way to the tracks, the area peaceful as a workday meant no outsiders to jeer them on.

"Okay, given you're not on tha roster, ya got time…." Taffyta nodded to her two scouts "But please, BE CAREFUL."

"We will be!" Torvald said excitedly but before she could move Sticky rushed up and hugged her "Eh?"

"Don't let 'em hurt ya!" the middle triplet said in worry "I know they're gonna come when tha arcade is closed so-!"

"Eh, don't worry about it Stix!" the youngest of the Zaki sisters winked "Just get on that leaderboard today, kay?"

"I'll hold her down." Minty smiled as she pulled the marshmallow racer towards her car "But if things do get gummy? Member that throw-down move I taught ya? USE IT!"

With things solidified, the groups broke off.

"Come with me." Said Candlehead as she took Lumi's hand, wanting nothing more than to get away from the track.

"Where are we goin'?"

"Back ta our _**LIL**_ library." The girl smiled "I wanna show ya some cook books."

Taffyta watched as the other two went their way, turning her focus back on the track. There was an off feeling fluttering inside her heart, dancing within her head. A lot of changes had hit the game over the past year but things were happening faster than ever since Lumi's freedom from his block. She remembered when she was so excited to see the changes, to see how things could be turned to return the game to a point where _**EVERYONE**_ felt like they could enjoy herself but that moment back at her little cottage had hit her in a way she was having trouble rising from.

She saw the castle in the distance, knowing that Vanellope lay sick inside. Curiosity was making her wonder what would have happened if _**SHE**_ had taken Torvald's place, if she had gone with Rancis.

Would she had visited the girl?

The loud clanging of the door to the arcade broke her from her daydream, the gaggle of players coming in.

"Can't let this distract ya, Muttonfudge." The girl side to herself, ready for the races to begin "D-Don't let a _**GLITCH**_ hold ya back."

Meanwhile Rancis and Torvald made their way towards the castle. Even out of the eyes of the player they knew they still had to be careful as the wrong movement could put an end to their plans.

"How many books do ya think we're gonna find?" asked Torvald.

"I don't know." The boy said "But I brought my stretch pack just in case it's more than the TWO OF US can carry."

"Same here!" the girl nodded, patting her candy decorated backpack in pride "Just hope we can find somethin' that-!"

" _SHHHH!"_

Rancis stopped in his tracks and pushed the girl back, ducking his head down _"Guards!"_

The two observed the large donut guards, the both of them talking amongst themselves. At first things seemed normal enough but then-

"AH!"

Two outsiders made their way towards the gate, a few words exchanged before they were allowed in.

"Aw man, I guess that throws out Taffyta's idea that there would be no outsiders until later!" said Torvald but Rancis wasn't ready to give up yet. He narrowed his eyes, keeping a good observation on the two.

"Given they're out during work hours, I can only guess they're NPCs. Either active or inactive ones."

"But should we still worry?"

"Oh, yes. YES." The boy said "If they have any connection to SNAKE, they could rat us out but with only two? I think we can still manage."

The boy then pressed forward, Torvald following him. Upon arriving to the gate, Rancis struck a pose, teeth gleaming as he bowed towards the guards.

"Good morrow Gentlemen!" the boy said with a flighty voice "How are things at the castle today?"

The two guards peered at each other before snickering.

"Fluggerbutters…" the first one said "Do ya _**REALLY**_ hafta lay it on so thick? It's still too early."

"Ah, but tis the way of THIS racer!" the boy cheeked, wagging his brows "But I can see you're both in a good mood and we hope that it spreads."

"What do ya want?" the second guard asked with a smirk "We've gone through this play with ya before, Butters."

"We are here to see if Vanellope is alright." The boy said, dropping the smugness "We are very much aware of the sickness that has befallen her but we have both come to deliver her some good that we HOPE can raise her spirits."

The guards felt a little edgy about the news, their minds going towards some of the events that had been going on as of late.

"Er, that's nice of ya an' all kid…." Said the first guard "But right now, we're takin' some _**PRECAUTIONS**_ on who can visit tha President durin' tha day."

"Hold up a sec!" said Torvald "We saw ya two lettin' some outsiders inta tha castle! You're tellin' us that _**WE**_ cannot go in? We live here!"

The two guards realized that their actions had been noticed, their postures straightening up.

"As we said, it's just _**PRECAUTIONS**_." The first guard repeated "We were given a _**LIST**_ of who could visit the President in this time of-!"

"A LIST?" Rancis said "Well, that does sound VERY important but if I can ask?"

"Yes?"

"Who exactly APPROVED this list?" the boy said "Was it Vanellope? Mr. Ralph? Mr. Felix? Maybe even Sargent Calhoun? If THEY'RE the ones who did it, we can understand but-!"

"Look, we're just followin' orders, kids!" said the second guard, harsher this time as a means of backing them away "An' for your sake, it's best ya not get too deep into this!"

"So we can't visit Vanellope?!" Torvald protested "US?! We got her a present an' everythin' but we can't even give it to her because we're BANNED?! Is that what you're tellin' us?!"

"BANNED? Who said ya were BANNED?"

"Given tha way you're treatin' us, it seems like we are."

"Torvald?Calm down, Luv." Rancis said as he took the girl by the hand and began to walk away "As you can see, we are getting NOWHERE this way and it is far too early as these guards have told us."

"But-!"

"We'll come back in the evening." Rancis said "When Mr. Felix or Mr. Ralph comes by, I'm SURE they can help us with this. And that will be fine, RIGHT?"

The first guard rubbed his temples, sighing heavy "Yes. Yes. We'll talk with 'em an' I'm sure-"

" _ **GOOD-BYE, GENTLEMEN."**_ Rancis said as he took off with Torvald "And we DO apologize for bombarding you with such trouble early in the morning."

"RANCIS!"

The two racers disappeared, the guards left in confusion at the odd good-bye but things were not over yet. Rancis quickly jetted through the bushes with Torvald still in tow, the two making a complete U towards the back of the castle.

"Rancis." Torvald whispered "Where are we goin'?"

"Vanellope wasn't the only one who knew how to sneak around…" the boy said with a sneaky tone as he looked about.

" _Raaaaancis?"_

The boy studied the outside of the castle, peering about the walls.

"Now I know…" he began "When the castle was set to Turbo's specifics there was a door I knew about."

"Wait, WHAT?!"

"Hehe, I used it to nick access for all those tops hair gel brands he would get for himself."

"Why am I not surprised this has to do with your HAIR? An' are ya tellin' me ya STOLE things, Rancis?! YOU? RANCIS FLUGGERBUTTERS?"

"He didn't have that much hair ANYWAY." The boy chuckled "But the big question is now that the castle has reset to its default, is my opening still here?"

The boy looked around but the access points to the castle were all reset as he had feared, the only thing around being massive LOCKED doors.

"Blast it all." The boy said stuffily. Torvald looked up, noticing the sugar glass windows.

"We can always CLIMB up." The girl said "But I don't have long glowing hair ta pull ya in so-"

"No, no, no. There's a better way. A QUIETER way of getting in." the boy said "I am sure of it! I am-!"

Rancis placed his hand upon the candy bricks, his vision suddenly flashing.

"AH!"

Suddenly his body felt numb, his mind flickering and dancing. He could feel himself move without control, his body walking calmly towards the long collection of hedges nearby, a grand bronze stature before him.

"Huh?"

The figure that stood in bronze was not that of King Candy, not even that of Turbo, but o another man. Tall, thin…FAMILIAR.

His body still moving on its own, Rancis felt himself moving closer, closer, his body trying to see the face upon the statue but it was blurry, melting almost.

"Who-?"

"RANCIS!"

The boy shouted, falling on his rump as he snapped to.

"Huh?"

"Ya froze!"

"I wh-?"

"YA FROZE!" shouted Torvald as she began shaking Rancis "It-! It was like someone hit a pause button on ya an' ya started ta GLITCH-!"

"GLITCH!"

Torvald was truly scared, shaking her head rapidly "Yes! Yes! YEEES! It was like what happened on tha track an-!"

Before the girl could say anymore, the boy's focus turned towards the hedges he had seen in his trance.

There they were.

He lept to his feet and rushed towards them, leaving Torvald even more worried than before.

"Rancis!"

"Could it be?" the boy panted as he ran "Is it true that-!"

Follow the path, follow the path-!

And before he knew it-

"It-!"

Right at the end of the path was the bronze footer, the statue of course GONE. He gazed up at the pedestal as if he expected the figure to appear on its own.

"Rancis!" shouted Torvald "What are ya-?!"

"IF there was ever an emergency…." Said the boy as he bent down, placing his hand upon the blank nameplate of the stature "There was always one way….."

He pressed his fingers down, feeling the plat sink further back. There was a clank, a whirl and before the two children's eyes.

" _WHOOOOOOOOA!"_

The pedestal moved back, revealing a large hole in the ground. Torvald was ASTOUNDED by what she saw but more so that RANCIS knew of the thing's location.

"Did you-?"

"No more talk…" the boy said as he took the girl by the hand "We need to get moving!"

The karts roared loudly in the distance, the racers and players busily away and unaware of the events that were taking place around them. Just as the sound of the winning jingle echoed across the game, the tunnel slowly came back into place, hidden from the eyes of all but two.

The space was low, the air was thick and hot but Rancis seemed to know where to head. He was careful but he was not slow, moving and leading Torvald on a journey UNDER the castle.

"I never thought I'd see somethin' like this…." The girl said, feeling nervous "An' are ya sure ya know where you're goin'?"

"It's always been here."

"What?"

"The castle has always been more than it's appeared to be." The boy said, her voice sounding serous as he marched forward "Turn here, turn there. If something were to happen above, you head below."

"Rancis? Um, ya okay?"

Something within the boy's head was going off, the path around him feeling so familiar but as always he was unable to pinpoint where. He knew of these tunnels, he knew of these places but HOW. But WHY?

"STOP!"

Torvald bumped into the back of Rancis as the boy came to a sudden halt. He moved his little flashlight to the left, spotting a maze of adjoining pipes and tunnels around him.

"Oh, this is just GREAT!" said Torvald "NOW what?"

Rancis stood still for a moment, shutting his eyes as he began to think.

Left

Right

Maybe up.

Maybe down?

"Which way?"

"THIS WAY." The boy said as he took Torvald and rushed to the right.

"H-How do ya know?"

"Trust me!"

"But Rancis-!"

"Just trust me!"

In no time, the two had made their way to an ending, Rancis pausing for a moment as he looked up towards a circular opening above.

"Cross your fingers." He said "Take a breath because-!"

 _CREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAK_!

At first there was silence but a jet of cool air hit the two, followed by a scent neither could deny. It was that of old books, old papers, ink and cinnamon.

"Is this-?!" Torvald said, looking at Rancis with wide eyes. He gave one heavy thrust upwards and with a little BOOM upon soft carpeting.

" **THE ROYAL LIBRARY!"**

It was true, it was beautiful.

All around the two were books, books, books galore. The room was tucked between the small space of the palace but once one got through the doors they were able to see how massive it was. Shelves upon shelves were stacked and packed TIGHTLY with books, the sunlight POURING in through the stained glass windows.

And in the middle stood two racers, their heaven lay out before them.

Torvald had never seen so many books in her life, the girl nervous to even touch them but little by little she moved forward, her tiny fingers going across the leather-bound spines, feeling the gold and silver engraved words on their covers.

There were books about candy, books about plants and animals, their home, their world.

Their hearts raced, their breaths were held but there was happiness felt within in, as if memories unknown were flooding back.

"I remember this…" said Rancis, his eyes starting to sting "I….I remember this. I remember books. I remember-!"

 _It is important to remember your history, Rancis._

The boy stopped once again, the pause coming over him again. The room began to darker and Torvald disappeared, some of the areas of the library shifting into something else.

 _Never forget your past, Rancis._

 _But what if I do something BAD in my past, dad?_

 **DAD?**

 _Then learn from it. No one's past is perfect. What is important is what you learn from it and how it effects your FUTURE._

Rancis found himself free again but the area around him had not changed. It was if he had become STUCK in the trance, the images around him casting both wonder and FEAR upon him. Where was he? What were these things he was seeing and WHO was that voice.

 _Dad?_

Could it be?

 _What did she say?_

 _Is….is that what she said?_

 _No, no that's not what happened Rancis!_

The older voice now sounded worried, scared. Soft crying could be heard, Rancis recognizing the voice as his own but HE was not crying, as far as he could tell.

"W-what's happening?"

 _That's not what happened!_

"What happened?"

 _I-! We-! Your mother and I-!_

Mother?

Rancis felt his body starting to shake, fear finally overtaking him. He had heard Dad, he had heard mother and with the way things were going he knew nothing good was to come. He wanted out of the trance, out of area but he had no idea how to escape. All he could see before him were flashing colors and pixels, his head pounding and his mind racing.

 _It wasn't your fault, Rancis!_

 _IT WASN'T YOUR FAULT RANCIS!_

"What wasn't?!"

 _ **IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT, RANCIS!**_

Vanellope?!

There was no way in the code void that Rancis could mistake her voice for another. He looked over, seeing the sights of a Princess in velveteen red but he also saw HIMSELF.

 _ **IT'S YOUR FAULT YOUR PARENTS SPLIT UP AN' IT'S GONNA BE YOUR FAULT MINE ARE TOO!**_

The boy felt his mouth dropping and his eyes buldging at the images. Where had this come from? What did it mean?

 _N-no! STOP IT!_

 _You always mess things up!_

 _ **NO! IT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN! AND IT WASN'T-!**_

 _ **IT WAS YOUR FAULT! IT WAS YOUR FAULT BECAUSE THEY DON'T LOVE YOU!**_

 _ **NO!**_

 _ **THEY DON'T LOVE YOU!**_

 _ **NO!**_

 _ **NO ONE WILL EVER LOVE YOU BECAUSE YOU'RE-!**_

"NO! NO STOP!" the boy said, thrashing about "That's not true! That's not-!"

CRASH!

FLASH!

GASP!

"TORI!"

Rancis looked about, everything returning to normal. Torvald was where she stood only seconds before, a book in her hand.

"Huh?"

It had happened again.

Rancis had slipped into a trance but he didn't know HOW and even WHY. Things still looked the same around him but there was still no answer to why it was being triggered now. He felt sweat forming on his forehead, wanting nothing more than to find what the duo was looking for and then leave.

"We need to start searching….NOW!"

And that was what the two did, both going through the massive collection to find any sort of clues to the books they needed. They kept their minds focus but every so often they would peep towards the glass window of the door, seeing a few people walking by but to their luck no one seemed to even CARE about going into the library and given the amount of dust that had settled on some of the books….

"It's been AGES since someone's been in here." Rancis said.

"Maybe Turbo came in when he was still King." Said Torvald "But since Vanellope came back into play? Maybe she didn't know."

"That makes sense." Said Rancis "Because I don't remember her mentioning one word about going through the collection, even when she removed the guards from the doors."

"Maybe she couldn't get in?"

"But why would she worry about that?" said Rancis "She can glitch in here without trouble and-!"

Hold on a moment.

The two looked at each other, their eyes widening as the realization hit them simultaneously. If Vanellope HAD been able to glitch, if she could have gotten in the area would have shown some signs of tampering beforehand. Fingerprints on the books, anything to notify them that they were not the first people to come in after all these years.

"Ya don't think-!"

The two rushed over to the main door, looking at the metallic look.

"What if-?"

"She COULDN'T get in!"

They had no means of testing it for sure but the oddly placed lock had something to do with it. Once more, they were faced with another artifact from the Turbo dynasty that had not been erased since the so-called reset. Torvald flicked the metal, hearing an odd ringing about it.

"Betcha THREE Butterfingers an' a ticket ta tha movies this thing is anti-glitch."

"And it covers the entire coding of this room." Nodded the boy, whistling.

"But why not tell Felix about it?" said Torvald as she looked around "Why not even have Mr. Ralph bust through here if she wanted to get in?"

Rancis through for a second; Vanellope was always one to put on face, always one to put herself up but maybe, what if?

She was EMBARRASSED?

He looked back at the door, placing his hand on it. If he had the key, he and the others would be able to get inside and maybe that's the thing that hurt Vanellope. EVERYONE ELSE would have access to the library but _**SHE**_ wouldn't. She would still be _**BLOCKED**_ out of a place in her own home and she _**KNEW**_ it. Perhaps the reason she never told was because she was embarrassed, that she never wanted anyone to know that even as a glitch, even with her ability that there still so many things she could NOT do that the others COULD.

Torvald and himself were FREE to roam around the library, to put their hands upon the books and touch them…

But even with her power, her position, Vanellope was NOT.

" _Oh, no…"_

"Rancy, DUCK!"

The boy squeaked as he and the girl fell to the ground, heavy footsteps approaching them.

"Is she okay?!"

Ralph.

"Tha doctor gave me tha report."

Calhoun.

"Her signs are still low so there are still a lot of hills for her ta overcome."

"Don't look like that Ralph! Ya know she can come outta this."

"Felix…."

The two racers on the other side of the door looked at each other. GUILT was falling upon both. They knew they had agreed to do the mission but knowing that Vanellope was SICK and they were just going about looking for something while she was suffering?

Boy, did they feel BITTER.

The adults then left, leaving the two slouching on the other side of the door.

"This is gettin' more dangerous than I thought…." Said Torvald, drawing her knees to her face "I thought this was gonna be fun but-?"

"You're scared too?"

She nodded, Rancis putting a hand on top of hers.

"If you're not comfortable with this, Luv? I can take over. You can head back home."

"An' give up now?" the girl said "I'm gonna admit….I AM scared! But I don't wanna leave ya!"

"Really?"

"Nope!" nodded the butter-themed girl "We came here for books! We're leavin' with books, TOGETHER!"

Rancis smiled, happy to know that Torvald was going to stick with him through the end "That's wonderful but the question remains."

"Yeah?"

"Where could the books be hidden?" Rancis said "We've looked around every nook and cranny and have found nothing."

"But the books HAFTA be here!' said Torvald "Otherwise Turbo took 'em ta another spot!"

"He kept this place boarded up for a reason though." The young boy thought to himself "There is NO WAY he would have wasted so much time and effort BARRING us from the library if he hadn't-!"

Rancis stopped, looking over towards a funny looking stand in the middle of the room.

"Tori?"

"Ah-huh?'

"What's that look like to you?"

The two walked closer to the stand-like object, the golden and sugar encrusted decorations beautiful but there was something missing from it. Something important. They could recognize a similar object in their library and one in Swizz' garage. It was supposed to hold-!

"A GLOBE!"

"It's a GLOBE stand!" Rancis said, though he kept his voice quiet.

"Why would he remove somethin' like that?"

"Because he needed something set to the game's original mode as a GUIDE!" the boy said "He HAD to keep the globe to the way it was so he could use it to keep track of things! So he could keep track of _**US!"**_

"But where could it be NOW?!" Torvald said "It's gone like the books an'-!"

Rancis stopped to ponder again, looking at the library in all directions.

"He would want to keep it near." The boy said "If it's not in the royal chambers where Vanellope is, it HAS to still be here."

Something had to show a clue, something had to be out of place. There had to be something that lead the two to where they needed to look.

"Crusty cookies and brittle brownies-!"

Rancis looked at the library again, his mind feeling an odd sense of familiarity about it. The front, the door; they had windows because that's where the outside courts and the halls were situated. The right?

No, they connected to the outer walls as well but the left?

The left!

There was a massive wall on the outside, one that seemed oddly out of place when you walked down the halls.

"Here!"

Rancis rushed to the wall, removing all the books in the little cubby.

"Rancis?"

He knocked on the panel, the wall HOLLOW.

"So close-!"

He pulled but there was a struggle, something keeping the wall wedged tight. In the year since Vanellope's return no one had been around to take care of the area, leaving the joints and hinges to rust.

"I think I have what we need!"

Torvald ran up to the lock and dug into her purse, pulling out a bottle of her favorite BUTTER CRÈME lotion. She dropped a dollop on the hinges, the oil INSTANTLY absorbed.

"An' lemme give ya a hand."

ONE!

TWO!

THREE!

The two children PULLED with all their strength, their feet digging into the carpet. At first nothing seemed to happen but there was a groan, a creak, the hinges starting to buckle and turn under their combined strength.

"K-Keep pulling, Tori! Keep-!"

There was a mighty CLUNK as the shelf LURCHED forward, the two falling on their rumps but a burst of AIR greeted them, a musty smell in the air. They could see cobwebs blowing from the sides, curiosity and fear keeping them on the ground. They had to move though, knowing that the key to everything could lay inside.

Rancis helped Torvald up, both moving forward into the room.

"Wooooow…." The butter girl said as she looked about, her hands feeling the walls "This is some crawlspace."

A set of stairs greeted them, taking them down once again as they went into an even smaller space but what greeted them-

"OH MY GOBS!"

"IS IT-?!"

Books.

Books, oh so many BOOKS.

Scrolls.

Papers.

Items.

A GLOBE.

There it was; EVERYTHING they had been searching for, stashed away in the very place Vanellope resided in yet knew nothing about.

"It's….it's the books!" Torvald said as she rushed forward to grab one, opening it to see unaltered drawings and illustrations of maps. Maps of what Sugar Rush was SUPPOSED to look like.

"These are real…." Rancis said, still in awe at what lay before him "This-! I can't believe it! It's here! We found it!"

The two racers jumped into each other's arms and cheered, feeling as their mission had been won but the trek wasn't over yet!

"Oh! How do we get all of this stuff back?" Torvald asked "I mean there is so much here and-!"

"Just take what we came for!" the boy said as he began grabbing books and shoving them into his backpack as well as hers "We already have a path here so once we tell the others-!"

"We can make some more trips here!" said the butter girl "Gotcha!"

With their packs filled, the racers made their way back up the stairs and into the library. They looked at the grand clock, seeing that it was well past the hour of closing and the voices of many visitors had already filled the castle.

"Darn it." Cursed the peanut butter boy "Guess we were here for too long."

"Well, there's no problem is it?" asked Torvald "All we gotta do is head back out that tunnel and things should be okay!"

Rancis then remembered; the card. He still had the card in his backpack and there was no way he was going to leave the castle without giving it to the still ailing Vanellope. He scowled, realizing that if he had done this much he could brave one more SPECIAL stage.

"Tori?"

"Ah huh?"

"You can stick with me or back out, I'm not going to fault you either way…."

"What is it, Rancy?"

"I need to get to Vanellope!"

Torvald was FLOORED "After we just raided the library?!"

"Trust me, it will be worth it!" the boy said as he reached back and pulled the card out, reminding Torvald that she had also signed the thing "I just-! I have to-!"

The boy couldn't say much, knowing he was only doing the missing to fulfill his own desires but he couldn't back out now. He HAD to see Vanellope, to see her condition and to see if there were anything HE could possibly do to make her feel better. He always wanted to remind her, to let her know that the other racers were concerned for her, that they hadn't just left her to the crumbs once more.

Torvald was scared, hearing the crowds talking outside and only dreading what they would say about her once she stepped foot into the main halls. She was still very shaken to how Snake and his gang had treated her and her sisters, how they had called her a useless recolor and how they had nearly broken Sticky's hearing aid.

"Hey."

Rancis took ahold of the girl's hand once more, giving her a reassuring smile.

"If anything happens? I've got your back."

The girl was hesitant at first but after a few moments of deep breaths….

"Okay."

The two waited by the door, Rancis finding a moment to jump into the crowd and seeing that the door locked behind him.

"And we put everything into its place before that too…" he reminded himself "Good, let's go."

Rancis traversed the halls with the skills of a spy, a nervous Zaki triplet in tow behind him. His hands slipped upon the metal gilding onto the walls, his gear still clutched onto his back. Where ever there was a crowd, the boy knew where to turn, the halls seemingly familiar to him.

"Whoa Rancis." Torvald said, sounding impressed "From tha way you're turnin' I think ya could RACE down here without leavin' so much as a scuff mark on tha carpets!"

"Heh, you're tempting me Torvald but I'm certain there are better things for me to do." The boy snickered. He stopped at the edge of the hall that lead to the royal chambers, a massive crowd outside "Sticky wicket! And from the looks of things, the entrance is packed as well. We might be here for a while."

"I-I'm okay with that!" Torvald gulped nervously "J-Just so long as-!"

" _ **EVERYONE, SSSSSTAND BACK!"**_

The two racers ducked down and yelped, the hissing voice of a familiar baddie nearly making them leap out of their cover.

"What's this about Snake?!" said another voice, one the children did not recognize "We've been here for HOURS and-!"

"Only _**I**_ am allowed to ussssher in vissssitorsssss!" the baddie hissed angrily, pushing a few people back "Do you want to russsssh the Presssssident while ssssshe issss SSSSSICK!?"

"We just want to give her good bodes, that's all!"

"Then wait your turn!" said the reptile.

"Snake, this is nuts." Said another voice, the creature turning around and looking down at his rat companion.

"Oh, don't go on about thissss again."

"Are we SERIOUSLY formin' wait lines for a sick kid?" the rat said "I can understand collectin' gifts ta give ta her when she feels BETTER but-? She's SICK! Not part of some side-show!"

"I am jussst doing my job." The snake said with a huff, crossing his arms "And everyone wantssss to ssssee Vanellope? Fine, they'll have to do it thisssss way."

Rat looked towards the main throne room, knowing that the other adults were inside tending to Vanellope. The rodent felt so awful to what was going on and to what he was participating in. He knew many of the people in the crowd meant well but Snake was wrangling them up like cattle, causing more drama than was needed in the current event of things. He could only count himself lucky that the room was thick enough to block out what Snake was saying and the roaring of the crowd but he knew what was best for everyone-

"Snake, back 'em up."

"What?"

"Ya heard me." Said the rat, scowling "Tell 'em ta leave. It's late an' tha kid doesn't need all this noise around her!"

"Oh, but I've been enjoying ssssseeing the crowrdssss-!"

"SNAKE."

The two glared at each other but Snake knew that rat would keep the righteousness dial up until he finally caved. The reptilian boss however wasn't in the mood to lose another minion again so for the sake of keeping Rat at bay…

"Hey."

He relented, if just for a bit.

"Now what?"

"I think it issss time for you to skedaddle." Snake said, arrogantly "We have another work day ahead of ussss and the Presssident needssss her sssssleep."

"But YOU said-!"

"Let's go." Rat said, his strength coming at the surprise of many as he was able to push the group away "Alright, out."

Rancis and Torvald remained pushed into the corner but the exiting groups paid no mind to them, mumbling in anger as they made for the exits. Once the crowd had dispersed, Rancis peeked around the corner and saw that the corridor was empty.

"Come on." The boy said as he signaled Torvald "We can make this delivery and then leave."

"Y-Yeah, good idea."

The two tiny racers went up to the massive doors of the royal bedroom, reminded once more how small they were in the game compared to Vanellope but they were both so close. Rancis took the large card from his bag and clutched it tight, images of Vanellope taking it into her hand and reading it dancing about his head.

He knew this would be good for her but the other racers as well. The moment she saw that they were worried about her, the moment she saw that they cared for her, EVEN TAFFYTA, she would feel better again! He knew that's what would happen! He knew-!

" _ **HEY!"**_

Once again the two screamed, turning around as a large shadow loomed over them.

SNAKE.

They had been caught.

The reptile was alone, hands placed on his hips and giving the racers the coldest of glares. It was no contest to guess that he was not happy to see them and the two could only DREAD what punishment he had in store but to their surprise, the creature said nothing, an odd silence shared between both parties.

Rancis stepped away from the door, knowing that those inside could not hear them "Y-Yes? U-Um…"

"WHAT….are you two doing here?"

The two jolted again, Snake's voice as harsh as sand paper.

"W-W-W-We were-!"

"ANSSSSSWER ME!" the baddie hollered "I don't remember letting YOU TWO PLACCCCEHOLDERSSSSS in."

There was that word again; placeholders.

Torvald glanced back at Rancis, showing that she had not a clue as to what to do or say and neither did the boy. With a large group, Rancis felt some safety among the ranks but it was two little racers against ONE BIG BAD GUY, one who wasn't afraid of tossing kids around as he had seen with Candlehead. The baddie smirked, crossing his arms together as he felt he had the two cornered, thinking of what he could do to make them squirm but Rancis wasn't going to let that happen, not anymore.

He cleared his throat, stepping forward but making certain that the card was handed off to his friend behind.

"Ah, good evening SNAKE." The peanut butter racers said, trying to keep his charm and manners about him "What brings you here this evening?"

"Sssstop with the SSSSCHMUCK, Flubbbutters!" Snake spat as he came down hard on the two "Your fru-frut talk issssn't going to get me!"

"But my good sir, I am not trying to get ANYONE." The boy replied "My companion and myself came here to visit Vanellope, that is all."

"And what reasssonssss do YOU bratssss have to vissssit her?"

"Why…because we heard she was sick." The boy said "We've been so worried but the castle has been swamped since the news. Everyone made a card for her and we hoped that we could-!"

"A card eh?"

Torvald jolted _"Gah, darn it Rancis!"_

"LEMME SEE THAT!"

"Hold up-!" Torvald said as she leapt out of the way "After what ya did ta Lumi's kart an' C-Butt! You're not touchin' ANYTHIN' till ya back off!"

"I don't have to take ordersssss from YOU lot!" the snake growled, swiping his tail and knocking Torvald off her feet and hard onto the ground.

" _ **TORI!"**_

The girl may have been stunned but she wasn't going to allow the snake to get the better of her. She rolled over out of his reach, clutching onto the card tightly.

"This is supposed ta be a surprise!" the girl said "A surprise Rancis made! Can't it stay that way till we give it ta Vanellope?!"

"I trussst your sssssurprissssesssss…." Hiss Snake "Asssss far asssss I can throw you. And given how far that Candle-Dunccce of yourssss went-!"

" _ **DON'T YOU DARE INSULT HER ANYMORE!"**_ Rancis ROARED, losing his grip at Snake's insults "Her name is _**CANDLEHEAD**_ you sidewinding, rotten fanged-!"

"RANCIS!"

Torvald jumped up but she did so a moment too late, Snake grabbing the boy by the back of his collar and holding him off the ground, the candy racer swinging his fists in an attempt to bop him one.

"Lemme go, LEMME GO!"

"Ssssmart mouthed byte." Snake said, snorting at the child's attempts of getting free "Do you think sssshe would want to sssssee sssssomone like you?"

"D-Do you think she wants to hang around some rotter like YOU!"

"At leassssst I have LOVE." Said the bad guy arrogantly "Heh, at leassst I have ACCESSSSSS to this GLORIOUSSSS palaccce. I haven't sssseen Vanellope invite YOU in."

Snake dropped Rancis onto the ground before Torvald, the butter girl racing to help her friend but she glared at the bad guy.

"We used to." She began "Before ya came in here and stunk up tha place. This castle was open ta EVERYONE, no matter how-!"

"USSSSED to." Snake sniggered "USSSSSED to, Placeholder. No one wantsssss you around and why ssssshould they?"

Rancis felt his anger rising, knowing that Snake was trying his all to discourage the two and he could not let him. He had already seen the damage Snake had done to the other racers physically AND mentally so he could not allow himself to get caught like this. He had to stand up, least of all he had to be brave for VANELLOPE.

"I don't care what you say." The boy growled, his throat feeling tighter as he stumbled to his feet "Call us whatever you want but I know the truth."

Snake chuckled again, amused by the boy's actions.

"You don't care about Vanellope. You don't care about her at all!"

"And what makesssss you think that? I wassssn't the BULL-!"

"Because you don't STOP."

Snake went silent, Rancis standing before him as he panted heavily in anger.

"You won't stop, SNAKE." The boy said "All these times, Vanellope has TOLD you to stop and do you know what a REAL friend would do?"

Torvald was stunned, Rancis reaching over and taking the card from her hand.

"A REAL friend would do just that. Every time Vanellope has told you to leave us alone, to leave our Candy Cheerleaders alone, you DON'T. You go in harder and HARDER and YOU'VE made things worse and WORSE. And she's SCARED. She's scared to say anything else because YOU'VE bullied HER into submission!"

Torvald just couldn't believe what she was hearing from the boy, her image of him used to the primp and proper pretty boy but the way he had taken a stand?

Things do indeed change.

In the royal chambers, a character rose to her feet and made her way to the halls.

"Lemme call for some more water." Said a certain Marine "Maybe that'll make her-"

"There are a lotta kinds of bullies out there…." The boy said "And maybe I did bully Vanellope but I can't live in the past anymore. I have to move FORWARD into the future. YOU want to stay in the past and you're dragging Vanellope down WITH YOU. That's why YOU'RE a bully, Snake! You're the WORST bully I've seen because you lie to Vanellope and say you're her friend but all you want to do is USE HER!"

Calhoun stopped, hiding on the other side of the door as she watched the stand-off before her. When had those two arrived, how could she not have heard them? Either way she was amazed at how Rancis was standing his ground, though it was clear by the way his legs were bent he was still nervous. Suddenly Torvald whirled around, her eyes bulging out.

" _ **SARGENT CALHOUN!"**_

Rancis felt his hat jump from atop his head, turning to see that the woman was indeed standing behind the trio but her face showed more astonishment than anger, neither of the children sure what to do. Snake however was unmoved, if anything more peeved to see the woman before him.

"S-S-Sargent, ma'am!" Rancis said nervously, dropping the card to the ground. Snake noticed the bright envelope land close to him and quickly moved, using his lower body to cover the paper from view.

"Ah-"

"We're sorry!" said Rancis in panic "We didn't mean to be so loud! We only want to-!"

"We only wanted to see Vanellope!" said Torvald, jumping next to the boy "We've waited HOURS and we couldn't get in!"

"Ya've been here all this time?" the woman said, the two nodding feebly "Well….er."

The setting was so awkward, even for the Marine. Ralph and her husband remained back with the ailing racer but something else was stopping her from moving, Snake's gaze not helping. Just by looking at him she knew he had a hand in whatever chaos was going on but he was going to remain as tight-lipped as ever about it and judging from how terrified the kids looked, she wasn't going to get any answers out of them as long as he was around.

"I take it the Presssident is fine?" Snake said, his voice gruff towards the Marine.

"She's doin' better." Calhoun replied, returning the sentiments "But right now she needs as much rest as she can. She doesn't need a massive crowd around her."

"You heard her, Placccceholderssss. SCRAM."

"NO."

Snake looked up, the woman scowling at him.

"What?"

"THEY can come in if they want to." The woman said "YOU have to go."

"ME?!" Snake scoffed, flabbergasted at the orders "But they-!"

"They WHAT?" the woman asked, leaning on the door and crossing her arms.

"THEY-!"

Snake was starting to get angry, his access denied to the President of the game while those of the racers were allowed and right in his face too!

"We both know THEY'RE part of the problem." Snake began, Rancis and Torvald jolting at the words directed towards them "How you can asssssume they didn't have anything to do with Vanellope'ssss illnesss is beyond me."

"It's beyond me that you're stretching somethin' in order ta blame 'em." Said the woman.

"You cannot tell me you haven't sssseen the connection." The Snake continued, making sure that the card remained tucked under his coils "Too many 'thingssss' have happened to edge thesssse kidssss forward and then the Presssident fallssss ill? It givessss them time to sssstrike!"

"At WHAT? From what you're sayin', you're makin' it sound like they wanna plan a take over or somethin'!"

The two kids exchanged looks; if only BOTH adults knew what they had spent the day doing.

"They are not the company Vanellope needsssss to be around!" Snake shouted "They are bad code, bad sssseedssss, bitter ssssugar!"

"Alright, I had enough!" the Marine said as she moved forward, pressing her chest against the Snake angrily "I hafta say it takes a lotta GUMPH ta say things like that but really? Do ya REALLY think any'a this is gonna help Vanellope get better?"

"It'll be THEIR fault." Snake shot "They've already made her MISSSSERABLE for too long. Ssseeing them now will only make her feel worssssse!"

 _ITS YOUR FAULT!_

 _YOUR FAULT!_

 _ **YOUR FAULT!**_

Once more Rancis fell ill, his stomach starting to ache and his head hurting. Torvald looked over, worried about her friend.

"Rancis?"

The adults took notice of the boy too, whimpering coming from his throat as he rose to his feet with his hands on his head. Calhoun took not a second to delay, worried that another racer had come down with something.

"Hey kid."

"N-Never mind." Rancis said, his head pounding as the area around him began to flicker once more "If Vanellope needs her rest, we will leave."

"GOOD." Snorted Snake "It ssssseemssss you have brainsss after all."

"SNAKE, lay off." Calhoun barked "Ya need ta get your scaly ass out too!"

Even as much pain as he was in Rancis looked back, and so did Torvald, stunned at the WORD they had just heard.

" _Did she say a BAD word?!"_

"Careful, SSSSSARGE." The creature said, waiting for the racers to round the corner to make his move as well, moving slowly and backwards to keep the note hidden "You wouldn't want it to get out how you're treating a BAD GUY now would you?"

"What? A BAD GUY who's actually doin' somethin' BAD? I doubt people are gonna make a fuss about THAT."

"Ya never know, Sarge." The Snake slithered with a smirk "Ya may be friends with the Presssident but you don't run this game. You can overstep a few things as well. End up on a list."

The woman did her best to keep her fists from flying into the reptile's face, watching him slither off and away. She moved back into the parlor of the bed chambers, shutting the door-

And sinking down onto the floor.

What was happening? She was certain that she could handle so many things, that she could help Vanellope keep the game peaceful but this was FAR from what she had envisioned. So many thoughts about characters were being changed, so many truths revealed. She knew that she had thought so many bad things before but it was all coming back and wrapping themselves around her.

And that threat Snake had made.

She knew it was true and he was using it against her. She didn't want anyone to be THAT scared of her nor did she want people to think she was roughing Snake up because he was a 'bad guy' but if word got out, if the RIGHT words were used, suddenly Calhoun would be seen as the REAL bad guy and it was because she was doing only what she felt was right.

Suddenly the distinction between good and bad was becoming blurry and blurry, the woman left to wonder how to act and most importantly WHO to talk to.

Meanwhile, Rancis was starting to feel better. He and Torvald had made it to the front of the palace, stopping right in the middle of the massive carpet.

"Feel better?"

"Yeah." Rancis said as he breathed in "I don't know what happened back there."

"Maybe we should go to the doctor." Torvald said in worry "That usually happens when a new piece of the game comes up but if it happen an' nothin' comes up-?"

"I'm fine, Torvald." Rancis said, noticing how dark it was outside "And right now, I think it would be best if the both of us got home and got these books to Taffyta. She's probably red in anger with-!"

Red?

THE CARD!

Images of the envelope popped into Rancis' head as he turned back and rushed down the halls.

"Rancis!"

He knew he had left something behind, wondering if Calhoun had found it on the floor when they ran away.

"Maybe that's a good thing." The racer said "If she finds it, she can give it to Vanellope and-!"

 _ **SCRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRIP!**_

The boy stopped, hearing the skin-crawling sound of ripping paper echoing in his ears. Snake's massive shadow plastered the wall as the creature SHREDDED the card, the boy seeing the carefully placed decorations and colorful strips falling onto the floor.

"Snake, this is goin' too far."

RAT.

"Hahahaha, did you read thissss thing?"

"NO. Because ya RIPPED it before I had a chance to."

"AHAHAHAHAHAHA!" the snake laughed harder, tossing the rest of the card into the trash bin "We hope you get better Vanellope!' Yeah RIGHT! Assss if thosssse ssssnot nossssed bratsssss think that'll do it for her!"

"Snake, they really wanted to give that to her!" said the rat in protest, searching through the garbage and seeing that these was no salvaging the card "Why'd ya hafta ta destroy it like this?"

"We can't let thosssse placccceholderssss get any closssser." The creature growled, though he was unaware that Rancis was around the corner, listenging to every word.

" _Rancis?"_

Torvald stopped in her tracks one she saw Snake's shadow on the wall. Clamping her hands over her mouth, she hid behind the boy.

"Do you think that after everything I've done I'm going to let thosssse PESSSST ruin my planssss?! That I'm going to let go of thissss SSSSSWEET deal?!"

"What are ya even goin' on 'bout, Snake?"

"We've never lived ssssso high, Ratty." The larger baddie said "Presssidential accesss an' more than that, more freedom to live in thisssss arcade like KINGSSSS!"

"But what do the kids hafa ta do with this?"

Snake said nothing, the two racers unable to see the smirk on his face.

"Hehe, assss if it were not obvioussss."

"NO. No it's NOT!"

"They're weak." Laughed the snake "They're weak and they know that they are and that'sssss how they're going to remain. Who caressss if they're ssssstupid picture isssss on the cabinate. Any two-bit NPC can be on the cabinet sssso why ssssshould they get all the goodiessss that ussss bad guysssss desssserve?"

"This….this isn't what we talked about, Snake." Said the rat, his voice low and glum "When we….when we started this, I was all up for it. I thought we were gonna help Vanellope, that we'd really become her friends. That we'd stop all the bullyin' like ya said we were an'-!"

"We are, aren't we?"

"NO! This is goin' too far!" the smaller baddie said "When we got here! When we first came here-! Those kids didn't do anythin' ta us! They-!"

"They're nussssiancesssss." The Snake hissed "The lot of them and they're in my way. The little yellow one? The one with the mouth? Heh, I wonder if I could have bent him further than I did with that ssssstupid candle one."

Rancis shivered, thinking the worst of what Snake could have done with him had Calhoun not stepped in.

"The moron. Sssstill thinking that he can do anything nicccce. Hehe, ssstill thinking hissss pixelssss matter compared to oursssss."

"He's a RACER here, Snake." Rat said in a gruff voice, growing tired of Snake's actions "He DOES matter here so I don't see how ya think batterin' him or tha other racers means-!"

"It'sssss partly hissss fault Turbo broke in here."

"Based on what?! Rumors?!"

"Based on FACT." The Snake said "We all knowssss thosssse cavitiessss LET Turbo in. What other reasssson could he have gotten ssssso much? It'sssss HISSSSS fault jusssst like the othersssss!"

 _YOUR FAULT!_

 _YOUR FAULT!_

 _ **YOUR FAAAAAAAAAAULT!**_

Once more, Rancis felt as if something in his brain went off, terrible images going through. He managed to keep quiet but he grabbed Torvalds's hand and ran, not looking back or caring that anyone else saw them.

"Rancis!"

"We have to get back." The boy said, swallowing back the ill feelings he had "We need to get to Taffyta and the others NOW!"

* * *

"So you're makin' a cook book?" said Lumi, watching Candlehead write and decorate a page before placing it in a large scrap book.

"Yeah!" the girl chirped "Since Turbo went away, I began goin' ta other games an' gettin' some ideas 'bout food from them! It was great!"

WAS.

The way that Candlehead had used that word before Lumi signaled to him that SOMETHING had happened, something before his arrival.

"C-Butt?"

The girl continued to smile though it was easy for Lumi to tell she was hiding something. She had stopped alright and he could guess the reasons why.

Snake.

"Maybe I'll finish it. I want to get recipes from all tha games around, not just here!"

"A-An' I'll help!" said Lumi "Ya need me ta take ya somewhere, I'll go along!"

"Heh, that's okay." The girl said "I wouldn't wanna put ya in any danger."

"Danger? HA!" guffawed the boy "I LAUGH in tha face of danger! **MWAHAHAHA!"**

" _ **THEY'RE BACK!"**_

Sticky's loud scream sent Lumi cowering under the table, the others rushing towards the entrance of the clubhouse.

"Lemme through, lemme through!" Taffyta said as she pushed her way through the crowd, greeted by the worried looking duo "So-?!"

"W-We got 'em…." Torvald meeped, a forced smile appearing on her face. Minty noticed the faults in her sister's stance, walking up to her.

"Hey, Tori. What happened?"

"We don't wanna talk about it." Rancis said as he made his way over to the table, throwing his heavy backpack on top "We should be thankful we eve made it out."

"An' tha card?"

Rancis turned towards Candlehead, the girl looking at him hopefully with her hands clasped together.

"Th-the card?"

"Did Vanellope get it?" the cake-themed girl gulped, eyes looking bright and hopeful. Everyone could see Rancis starting to blush, his eyes narrowing as they darted about. Taffyta held her breath, the language of the boy's body easy enough for her to read.

Something had happened.

Something BAD.

"C-Butt-"

"Um, about those books-!" Taffyta interrupted, shaking her head a she held up a hand "Wh-what did ya find?"

The peanut butter racer let out a heavy breath, actually glad that Taffyta has pushed her way through "Well, Pastilli."

"Yeah?"

"Ya said there would be maps, books, all of that?"

"YES?"

Rancis and Torvald both opened their packs, the items spilling out onto the floor.

"Then here it is!"

The group gasped in shocked, looking down at the collection before them. Each and every book, each and every document was real! These were no jokes, no tricks-!

"They're REAL!" Torvald said, holding one of the thick items up.

"But how can you tell, darling?" asked Sakura, wary of her cousin's declaration. Torvald opened the book, pointing towards an important stamp.

"This is the Sugar Rush coat of arms!" the girl said "Don't you guys remember it?"

The kids gathered around, exciting chatter rising among them.

"Wait-!"

"I think-!"

"It was used in all the official letters an' documents." Said Torvald "I…I just rmember seein' it but…but never from Turbo. From…from somewhere else."

"From King Tobias, from Queen Milka but…."

Everyone looked at Lumi, the boy standing far from the others but his face said it all. The fishing boy's eyes were directed at Rancis' the boy blushing once more.

"Me?"

"Your DAD."

"D-D-Dad?"

"Your father worked with the King." Said Lumi "I remember that!"

"But…but-!"

For a moment, Rancis could not recall any such things, only that Lumi had mentioned something to it earlier but he still could not believe it. Had his father worked so close with the King? Had he been so close to the castle

Maybe that was it, the reason why he was able to remember so much, how he was able to navigate the castle while Torvald and the others could not.

He had been there. He had walked the halls more than anyone else, more than even RALPH.

"My dad would keep documents like this…." The gummie boy continued "An'-an' there was somethin' funny 'bout 'em."

"Was it tha colors?" Torvald said, shooting up as she looked at the boy. He smiled suddenly, pointing back to her.

"YES!"

"Colors?"

"Yes, there was somethin' important about tha colors!"

Torvald felt something return her again "Back at my house! I used ta have a collection! Mama an' papa-!"

Minty, Sticky, and even SAKURA dropped their jaws as they turned towards the butter candy racer, her eyes glowing oddly as she seemed to become lost in her thoughts as they had seen happen many times before. Taffyta took ahold of Candlehead and stepped back, feeling that something EXCITING was going to happen.

"Mama n' papa! They would read tha letters but when they were done, when they knew they didn't hafat hang onta tha stamps anymore, they would hand 'em ta me! An' I would collect 'em with my books!"

"Your books?" said Lumi.

"Yes! I would write so many books about everythin' I saw around Sugar Rush but tha stamps! There was a blue seal!"

"That's for King Tobias. It meant that tha orders were written from tha king HIMSELF!" said Lumi.

"An' then there was like….a reddish purple one!"

"That's from tha Queen!"

"An' then, there was BLACK."

"Black-!" gasped Rancis.

Everyone turned towards the boy, his hands held together as he walked about the room, but his back was turned towards the other.

"Black….I….I remember the black pad."

The others exchanged looks, not wanting to interrupt the memory.

"It…it rested on this fancy desk and….and sometimes, I would see him."

"Who?"

"M…my dad." The peanut butter boy continued "He would tell me, leave it alone. Don't touch it. Don't get into a mess but one day…."

The clubhouse grew dark around the boy, a strange warmth surrounding him.

"I knocked it over. I just wanted to do a stamp myself because my dad had forgotten one. But I knocked it over and it fell. When I tried to pick it up, I got ink all over my fingers. I was upset, scared that I would get in trouble, that my dad would be-!"

He stopped, shaking his aching head.

Were these memories true?

Why were they so vidid?

"Rancis?"

 _Dad, I'm sorry! I'm sorry!_

 _Ooooh. It's okay._

 _Huh?_

 _I told you there was a reason why I didn't want you playing around my things…..but it's okay. There's no harm done._

Rancis cupped his hands, as if he were holding one of the castle's stamps. He could remember it, how it felt, pressing the ink down on the paper and lifting it up to see the emblem. He could remember that but he could not see their faces. Not that of the King, the Queen, nor his father….

But he could see….

Vanellope.

VANELLOPE.

Why could he see HER and no one else?

"Blue for the King, red for the Queen, and my father used Black." Said the boy "He used Black because he was the assistant to the King. He would sit in that chair, writing letters, keeping books….and I remember the days I would watch him. Watch him and wonder how important it was to work for the King."

The others were amazed by what they heard, Rancis having such love in his words. Taffyta was the most shaken of all, wishing that she could share in those memories, that she could share in ANY of them but there nothing coming to her at that moment. As vivid as the memories were to others, nothing was coming up to her. All she could remember was Turbo, or better yet KING CANDY. The way he doted on her, the way he talked to her. The way he wanted the castle to look, the way he wanted the game to look.

Why was she seeing things this way? Everyone else was regaining something but her-?

"An' that's where he was." Said Lumi.

The others turned back to the gummie boy, his fingers looking through a map.

"I told ya guys. We had more ta do in this place other than be Vanellope's 'second choices'. We had homes, we had FAMILIES!"

"But no one believes us." Meeped Adorabeezle sadly.

"They will once we get enough proof!" the gummie boy said in a powerful voice "Once we show 'em all, we'll-!"

"LOOK!"

Once more Lumi felt like jumping through the roof, Sticky's high-pitched shout taking him by surprise.

"What is it, Stix?"

"Don't close that book!" the girl said as she rushed towards Lumi and SLAMMED her hand in the middle of the page "Look at this!"

The others moved closer, seeing the large map before them but what surprised them the most wasn't just how different it looked to the maps that Turbo had showed them, not the intricate details but rather what lay adhered to the page.

STICKERS.

Many stickers.

"What are these?" Jubileena asked.

"They look like-." Said Citrusella.

"They've been placed as MARKERS." Both said at the same time.

"Given how it's placed, ya two are right." Said Swizz as he took a closer look "Someone gimmie a magnifying glass."

"We can use Snowy's glasses!" Candlehead sad brightly as she YANKED the girl's glasses off her face.

" _ **AURGH! MY EYES, CANDLEHEAD!"**_

Before Swizz could object, the candle-headed girl was already peering through the rainbow colored lenses, many words and places coming into view.

"Wow! These are names I've never heard of! Caramelstan. Borsvina?"

"They're all places that go beyond our kingdom!" said Nougetsia in surprise "Look! Sugar Rush is in the middle-!"

"But all these other countries. What does this mean?"

Mumbles were shared among the group before Adorabeezle let out a gasps.

"Wait, the stickers! Cherries and blueberries! A snowcone! A lollipop! Guys, I think these things represent US!"

"US?!"

"That has to be it!" said Swizzle "Tha stickers line up and there's no other candies here so-!"

"N-No other candies?"

The group turned, Lumi once again given bad news.

"Ya mean ta tell me, even after all of that there's still no clue ta me in there?"

The group said nothing, their tongues tied on how to handle the situation but of course Candlehead stepped forward.

"Uh, I think all'a this was taken when Turbutt came over so maybe it makes sense we're tha only ones he noted?"

"Yeah." Said Taffyta trying her best to back her friend up "Like Swizz said, with your code bein' in-ACKSESS-e-BULL in tha game, Turbo wouldn't have known anythin' 'bout ya since tha info wasn't there in front'a his face. Gettin' ta know ya wudda taken some ACTUAL plannin', somethin' he didn't care about apparently!"

"Gee, I guess." The boy said, knowing it didn't help one bit "But as long as this leads tha way for ya-?"

Lumi could not lie to himself; he was VERY upset as it seemed there was so little coming his way of clues to his origins and reason of existing in the game. All he had was his little tattered piece of paper with the dusty picture but other than that?

Nothing.

But he knew he couldn't drag the others down with him, his own promise to help the racer still very important.

"Aaaw….I-I'm sure we'll find more anyway! Lemme take a look at that map!"

The kids gathered around, growing more and more excited by the lands they looked upon and what the placements of the stickers meant.

"With this crown I guess this means Vanellope." Said Taffyta as she pointed to the rather small land mass situated in the middle of the map "She's from Sugar Rush so it makes sense that it would be here but why are we all spread out?"

"It could mean where we came from or maybe even the lands we're supposed ta represent!" said Swizzle.

"But I don't 'member bein' born anywhere else." Said Candlehead, rather cluelessly "I mean….CAN we be BORN? We were PROGRAMMED, that's for sure."

"Most of us were BORN here." Said Lumi "But Swizz was right, those stickers represent tha lands your families came from!"

Families.

It was a dream come true.

"Wow, a lotta us come from this land." Said Sticky as she pointed towards a rather small island nation near the East "Look'it how many of our stickers are there!"

"Le'see." Said Minty "Me, Stix, Tori. An' then I see Sakura an' C-Butt's! An' Gloyd!"

"Wait, but my sticker is over here!"

"What, that can't be it."

"No, look!" said the boy as he pointed towards a country near the North "See."

"So Gloyd gets TWO stickers?" asked Minty.

"No, wait!" shouted Jubileena.

"Juju and I-!" said Citrusella.

"Have two-! TOO!"

The group looked over, seeing that the berry twins did have their stickers placed over to two different lands, one being a large country near that of Minty's but also further away, far West.

"They're not the only ones!" said Snowanna "I have a sticker near them….but there's another one right in the middle of the ocean!"

"An' Swizzle!" said Candlehead "Look at yours!"

Swizzle looked to see that his sticker was placed on two areas as well, one of his joining that the berry twins and Snowanna in the West but the other near the likes of Gloyd and Rancis.

"What is this-?"

"That's where your dad was from."

Swizz' eyes widened in surprise "M-My dad?"

"Yeah. I remember cause m'Mom was from there, too!"

"WOOOOOW!" said Candlehead "An' where was your dad from?"

"Where Rancis' sticker is." The boy said "Before we moved, we lived here. And when we came ta Sugar Rush-!"

The boy stopped himself, feeling saddened by the memories that he held in his head. Despite being untouched by Turbo's memory wipe it was starting to feel worse and worse to regale the others of his own story because he had nothing to show to them that any of it was REAL. On the other side, the other racers were getting more and more proof that they had their own tales but they had NO MEMORIES to connect them to.

Both sides were stuck to the same awful coin but the situations suffered had their own punishments.

"Do ya guys really believe me on this?" the boy said "I mean, even with everythin' that's come up."

"Yeah."

Lumi looked up, Taffyta standing strong before him.

"Yeah, I believe ya."

"But whY? I could be double-crossin' ya at this point for all ya-!"

"Because you've actually taken tha time ta PROVE ta us what ya want." The girl said "Ya kept your promise; ya said there would be stories, that there are things around here still buried ta show EVERYONE what we did here an' there is! It's not YOUR fault that no one wants ta believe it!"

"Why won't they though?" the boy said, feeling as if he were BEGGING the girl for answers.

"Because it takes away from Vanellope, THAT'S why."

Candlehead looked, feeling that Taffyta was hitting that angered point again. She was still clearly upset to what was going on but the revelation from the books added to her strength and her want to find out more.

"I know that's what it is." The girl continued "They don't wanna believe that WE have things too. They want VANELLOPE ta have all tha cool stuff so they can attach themselves ta her an' stake claims for themselves."

Torvald and Rancis looked at each other for Snake had confessed the exact thing.

"Ta them, we're just placeholders. We're just nobodies with no stories, no connections but here we are, findin' out tha truth an' tha more that comes out, I think tha more it's gonna show we're far more EQUAL ta Vanellope than she wants us ta be."

The girl rubbed her chin, snorting.

"We should even show her this map." The girl said "Look at how SMALL Sugar Rush is compared to these OTHER countries! It's just a mini cookie compared ta some of these GIANT CAKES! An' if they have kings an' queens an' presidents? HA! Vanellope won't hold a candle ta 'em! She's just a tiny Nerd in a BIGGER box!"

Taffyta was feeling energy well up within her like never before. She wanted to continue, to find more though she didn't now where to start. She DID however, know who to go TO.

"Lumi?"

"Yeah?"

"Ya kept your end, I'll keep mine." The girl said "I'm gonna go through this game high an' low ta find more 'bout cha! Right ta tha end."

"Really?"

"This stupid arcade wants ta see Taffyta Muttonfudge as somethin' else other than a bully? They'll see what I can do an' they'll hafta eat it too!"

"Settle down, luv." Rancis said "We can't do too much or else we're going to risk the others finding out, especially Vanellope."

"Yeah, I'd HATE to see how she's going to react to all'a this." Said Nougetsia "And what about Ralph and the others?"

"They'll take it just as they should an' maybe then they'll learn they shouldn't PUSH US around and RESPECT us!" the strawberry racer said, flicking her hair. She then turned around, looking at the map and finding her sticker "And look!"

She grinned pointing towards the area where her sticker lay.

"I found MY spot! Hehe, plain as day."

"I wonder what these places could translate out in the REAL world." Said Adorabeezle curiously, Torvald snapping her fingers.

"Hoooooold on a moment!"

The girl went through the book stash in the clubhouse, pulling out another atlas.

"Mr. Guile gave this to me a while back!" she said happily "I needed help studyin' for this contest ta win a new bike an' it was somethin' based on WORLD GEOGRAPHY! Tha REAL world!"

"I told ya, she's as big a NERD as Swizz." Minty laughed, nudging Lumi in the side.

"Move aside!" the girl said as she took out another one of her notebooks and a pen "Lemme get this!"

Torvald studied both maps, lining up the areas, studying the lands and jotting down the numbers.

"Looks like hya got some competition, ol' Lum." Said Taffyta, the boy pouting.

"She just knows geography from tha OUTSIDE world! How's that gonna help here, huh?"

"Done!" the girl chimed as she placed her notebook down.

"Well, give us tha goods, Tori!"

"Okay!" the girl said as she tucked the pen behind her ears "Here's what I was able ta figure out!"

The others gathered around, waiting on baited breath.

"For my sissies n' me, Sakura, C-Butt and Gloyd? We're all from JAPAN!"

The mentioned racers looked surprised, Sticky letting out a gleeful giggle as she danced about happily on her toes. Sakura let out a haughty laugh, trilling her fingers gracefully.

"Well, OF COURSE, darling!" the girl said "Have you SEEN my outfit. That is where only the BEST and most INNOVATIVE of fashions come from!"

"But wait, I had TWO places, remember." Said Gloyd "What was the other one?"

"That's tha cool part!" continued Torvald "It's from a country called Germany!"

"Germany? Like….as in German CHOCOLATE Germany?"

"Ah-huh!" nodded Torvald, the pumpkin racer looking stunned but the stunned expression was replaced by an excited one….then a relaxed one.

"Huh. Sweet."

"Now for Juju an' Cissy!" said the girl "The first sticker…it's CHINA!"

"China?!" said Taffyta in surprise "Ya mean tha same place where ol' Thunder-Thighs Chun-LI is from?!"

"One in tha same! But it doesn't end there!" the butter girl continued "The other sticker represents AMERICA!"

"An' if one of my stickers is there, that means I'm from America too?" said Snowanna with a smile "An' the other-!"

"Ya won't believe it! But it's the BAHAMAS!"

Everyone watched as Snowanna jumped back, the girl nearly hitting the ceiling. Even if she didn't have a SUGAR RUSH location pinpointed, it was something exciting to know the INSPIRATION.

"THA BAHAMAS?!"

"WOOOOOOOOOOOOW!" said Candlehead "That's-! That's a really SPECIAL place! It's all tropical an' stuff! It really IS you!"

"It's-! It's MY DADDY!"

"Your daddy?"

"Tha small island where he came from!" the girl said "It all makes sense! Daddy was from tha Bahamas an' mama was from AMERICA!"

The group let out a collective gasp and cheer, things coming closer together than they could have imagined.

"Don't stop now, Tori! Keep goin'!" said Taffyta, waving her hands.

"Alright, for Swizz! He has a sticker placed in MEXICO an' tha other is in SPAIN!"

"Oh…oh my gobs." The boy said, lost for words.

"But that means I'M have a connection ta Spain as well!" said Lumi "I told ya, my MOM was from there!"

"An' that leads ta tha next point! Both you an' Rancy have connections to ENGLAND!"

"Huh, that makes sense." Taffyta said, slapping the peanut butter boy on the back "With an accent like that, I think EVERYONE knew."

The others nodded in agreement, the boy adjusting his collar.

"Oh, don't act so JEALOUS, everyone. Is it MY fault I was cooked up where CLASS originated from?"

"Your FARTS are classier than ya, Rancis."

"AGAIN WITH THAT?!"

"Keepin' in this area, Crumbellina?"

The caramel girl remained silent and diligent, her heart beating fast.

"Italy!"

The ends of the girl's mouth tugged about but she forced the smile down; she now knew.

"An' what about us?" asked Nougetsia as she and Adorabeezle stepped forward.

"This one was a toughie." The girl said as she looked about "Ya see, your sticker is still connected near Sugar Rush."

"So they're from tha kingdom?" asked Swizz.

"No, no they aren't." said Lumi, everyone looking at the boy "I 'member some things 'bout what my dad said. 'Bout a country from the far North that once upon a time used ta be connected ta Sugar Rush but all tha land messed up an' a big sea separated it."

"Tell me more." Torvald said, listening and taking down all the information she could "Any lil bit can help, especially if ya two remember it!"

"But we can't." said Adorabeezle "Aside from all those little things that popped up, we can't remember anything else!"

"Lumi?"

The boy paced around the room "M'dad said he'd been around tha waters before, that there was a rare fish that tha Queen wanted but it was really special n' endangered. If he went about catchin' it, it could die out an' tha place where Beezie n' Nougie lived could be in big trouble!"

"That….that sounds AWFUL." Said the older Popsicle girl "But I don't remember anything special about fish."

"It-!" the boy continued to think "It was your AUNT!"

"Our Aunt?"

"YEAH!" the boy said "She-! She was really mad! REALLY mad! I 'member dad goin' 'bout how your Aunt…how your aunt-!"

The boy stopped again, eyes widening in fear. He remembered something alright but given the happiness of the moment-

"Yeah, Lumi?"

Should he tell the truth?

COULD he tell the truth?

The girls were looking at him in wonder, in desperation. They wanted to know about their home, their origins, their REASON but Lumi could not say a word.

"U-Uh, funny letters!"

"What?"

"L-Letters!" Lumi said again, dodging the odd looks "Dad brought home ice-cream from where ya guys lived an' there were funny letters on the box!"

"What kind'a funny letters?" asked Swizz.

"Did they look somethin' like these? These are the letters from where we come from an' we still use 'em here too." Torvald said, pointing to the various characters in the back of the map that the fighter had given her, the boy nodding his head.

"No. They looked like letters used in English but….they were? Backwards? Upside down? Different? Maybe-!"

"Upside down?" Torvald said "I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKIN' ABOUT!"

The girl flipped through the book again, landing on the page that was about-

"RUSSIA!"

"YES! YES, that's it!" Lumi shouted in triumph.

"That's where tha area must be based on!" the butter girl said "It all makes sense!"

"I guess whoever came up with this placed moved a piece all tha way down here." Said Swizz "But where is it now? We have an ice area on the track but it's nowhere near as big as this."

"I betcha it's still buried." Taffyta said "Which means we still have a lot ta do ta bring it up."

"We have one more place ta go through, an' its YOURS, Taffyta." Torvald said, seeing the girl light up.

"ME?"

"Yup." Nodded the other girl "AAAAAN' lookin' through tha maps! Your place?"

Taffyta felt nervous; would this be a GOOD thing or a BAD thing?

"It's….FRANCE!"

The strawberry racer's hair stood on end, her feet feeling as if they were leaving the ground.

"FRANCE?"

"Yup!"

"FRANCE?!"

"Aaaaah-HUH!"

"THE FRANCE?!" Taffyta said, feeling like turning somersaults around the room "France! As in where PARIS is?! Capital of LOVE!? Of ROMANCE?!"

"Hooo-BOY." Snorted Rancis "And you guys call me full of myself."

Pixel hearts and strawberries began to swirl around the girl as she held her cheeks, spinning on her toes.

"Paris! France! Land of lights and splendor! That's where I'm from! That is where I am from, mon amie!"

"Oh, don't ya even START that fake froo froo French on us!" said Minty.

"But I can not help it, no?" the girl teased, putting on the WORST French accent she could "It is in my code, in my heart!"

"In your BUTT." Said the mint racer "Gah, I have a feelin' we're not gonna hear tha end'a this."

"Wait, that can't be right…." Said Lumi as he moved over towards Torvald.

"What do ya mean?"

"Tha Muttonfudges. Yeah, Taff's dad? He's from wherever ya said he was from but….but her mom."

"Her mom?"

Lumi looked around the book suddenly seeing something stuck at the very end of the page.

"Hey."

"What is it?"

"Is that another sticker?"

"Wow, it is!"

"Taffyta." Candlehead said as she poked the girl on her back, the strawberry racer still spinning on her ties.

"Huh?"

"Yeah, Taffyta has two stickers too!"

The girl paused, looking in surprise as she went over towards the others.

"I…I have two….TOO?" the girl said.

"But where did it come from?"

"This couldn't have been a mistake. It was still tucked on these pages."

"Yeah, but it musta fallen off from somewhere." Said Snowanna.

"But WHERE?"

Lumi once more scratched his head, trying his best to recall the details he could "I….I can't remember."

"What do ya mean ya can't remember?" said Taffyta, looking a might panicked "Ya act as if ya've hung 'round me n' C-Butt enough but-!"

"Look, I just know as much as I can remember!" the boy said in protest "Your mom! She wasn't from Pants!"

"FRANCE."

"FRANK'S." the boy said "Ooooh, I wish I could remember! There's just so much craziness 'bout all'a this!"

"If ya could see tha reference in tha back of this book, could ya-?"

Before Torvald could finish, Taffyta slowly approached the Sugar Rush atlas, looking down at in wonder, feeling a tingling in her fingertips as she held the beautifully designed pages. The placement of the others surrounded her and her own sticker stuck out brightly but she saw the other, hanging at the end of the pages.

It belonged to her but to where it originally sat she did not know. Again, a part of her story was missing, a mystery removed from her. All she could think about was Turbo, how he knew where the others had come from, how he must have felt and plotted to rob them of their homes, of their stories. Turbo knew far more than the others, far more than Lumi and even Vanellope.

Turbo KNEW where Taffyta had come from.

But Turbo was gone.

The only thing that was left was the question of where he had stuck the second sticker.


	23. Chapter Twenty-Two- Black Listed

Chapter Twenty-Two- Black Listed

"We need ta talk."

Calhoun ushered Ralph and Felix to the palace kitchen, looking around to make sure that the other candy helpers had gone about to their work elsewhere.

"What is it, honey?" Felix asked worriedly, taking a seat.

"We need ta talk SNAKES." The woman said, glaring at the men. Hero and Bad Guy eyed each other nervously, only having to dread what had taken place while they were attending to Vanellope in her time of need.

"I want the full story, Wreck-It. What's up with this guy?"

Ralph rubbed the back of his neck nervously. Had the Sargent asked the question EARLIER he would have been quick to defend his fellow bad guy but there was something going on in the man's brain that now held him back, making him choose his words wisely.

It all had to do with some of the instances he had seen Snake lashing out in such vitriol not just towards the other racers but VANELLOPE as well. When their friendship began he seemed so friendly and so caring, if not a little rough but so was the case with any bad guy.

Wasn't it?

"C'mon, Ralph!"

"Alright!" the man said, annoyed "We already saw his game; that should be enough for ya!"

"I need more than that, RED!" the woman said, slamming her hands down on the countertop.

"Tammy, settle down!"

"Where does this jackass get comin' here an' throwin' people around?!" the woman demanded "It was bad enough he's got everyone in this game actin' like their scared but from what I've hearin' he's got others worked up as well!"

"Well-!"

"Ralph!"

"Calhoun, what else do ya want me ta say?!" Ralph roared, the pots and pans hanging on the wall shaking "Are ya tryin' ta get me ta say he's a BAD GUY!"

"IT'S BECAUSE HE IS, RALPH!" Calhoun said "I hate ta break it to ya, but Snake IS one of those 'BAD GUYS'!"

"I-!"

Felix watched as the other man's face turned red, his fist balled up.

"You're tryin' ta bring that back, Calhoun?"

"Bring WHAT back?!"

"Just a BAD GUY, huh?" the big man huffed "So if I do just one thing outside your lil comfort zone, I'll be strung up with him?"

"Oh-HO, don't even START with me, Wreck-It!" the Marine said, pointing towards the man "No amount of EXCUSES are gonna turn away from tha FACTS of what he's bein' doin'!"

"Well, if he's been causin' that much trouble why don't ya report him?!"

" _ **BECAUSE YA KNOW WHAT HAPPENED THA LAST TIME!**_ I didn't have enough 'proof' for Surge so he WOULDN'T report 'im!"

"There it is then!" said Ralph "If ya don't have anythin' ta bring in-!"

"Ya are kiddin' me…." The Marine said, her head lowered "Ya are FREAKIN' KIDDIN' ME, Ralph!"

Felix remained low, never seeing such fights since the 'good ol' days' because Ralph and Gene. For all he wanted the best of his friends and wife, he just had no idea how to fix things.

"I wanna ask ya somethin'. Somethin' IMPORTANT."

Ralph didn't say a word, a nod his only response.

"Do ya think? Do ya ACTUALLY think that simply because Snake is a BAD GUY like you, that makes him INCAPABLE of bein' a bad person? That simply because YOU were misjudged, that goes for EVERYONE automatically?"

Ralph wanted to say YES but the more he thought…..

"I know….I know I haven't been in this arcade LONG, probably not as long as Snake even. An' I'm out of tha loop for a lot of tha _**INFAMOUS**_ history that's been goin' on but there are some things that even a green-horn like me can tell right off tha bat."

"An' that would be-?"

"Snake is no good." Said Calhoun "He's not one of our Bad Anon buddies, Ralph. I've met them, I've seen the GOOD they have done. But Snake-?"

The woman stepped back, putting her hands on her hips.

"Don't ya think it's kinda ODD? Tha way he talks over ya but most importantly, VANELLOPE?"

Ralph's expression softened at the mention of his friend, sick in bed many stories above them.

"Haven't ya noticed just how he GROOMS her?"

"GROOMS her?!" Ralph said in shock "You're bringin' THAT inta tha mix?!"

"Um, I'mma gonna get us some tea." Felix said, slinking off to the far end of the kitchen, knowing that war was about to drop "Can't make the water TOO hot though…."

"If ya wanna talk 'bout someone who GROOMED kids-!" Ralph said "Can we talk about TURBO for a moment."

"Huh, I'm actually GLAD ya brought him up." Said Calhoun, not losing a beat.

"He GROOMED those other kids ta BULLY Vanellope!" the Wrecker said "FIFTEEN YEARS of that, Calhoun! He TOLD them ta bully her! He MOLDED their minds to bully her! He made it out that by bullyin' her they were doin' somethin' GOOD! FIFTTEEN YEARS AN'-!"

"So ya finally admit that Turbo had more ta do with that happened an' his INFLUENCE on tha kids rather than 'em being PROGRAMMED as bullies?"

Ralph froze dead in his tracks; yes he had.

He quickly tried to recover himself, thinking of something he could say to turn it around, to say the kids had control but-

"That's all I wanted to hear." Said Calhoun "I wanted ta hear it because tha more I look inta this case, that's EXACTLY what happened."

The woman pulled a stoll from the counter, sitting down.

"M'boys an' I have been doin' a lotta testin' on tha code of this game, even past all those sudden pop-ups of areas. We've been gettin' lots of evidence of past hackin' an' other manipulation on nearly ALL of the code boxes in tha game, from main characters to NPCs an' NOT just Vanellope's."

This time Ralph was quiet, wanting to know more of the findings.

"We took a sample from one of tha racers, just ta see if our hypotheses were correct an' we did find evidence of someone tryin' ta pull out their cords."

Ralph blanched at the revelation, Calhoun bringing out her tablet to show the man the information.

"I'm takin' a guess it was just a test." The woman said "We all know that Turbo went for Vanellope because of her status in tha game but I get tha feelin' that even before then, he wasn't sure it would work, 'specially with a more powerful game an' as we all saw, it kinda didn't. He didn't erase Vanellope nor take her out like he wanted to."

"S-So you're tellin' me? Even before then Turbo used these kids as GUINEA PIGS?"

"Yup."

"B-but who was tha other kid?!"

Calhoun quickly took the tablet away, placing it down to prevent Ralph from seeing the name "Right now, that's not important. What _**IS**_ important is we have further proof that Turbo didn't seek the help of tha other kids ta gain his position, not when he was willin' ta just unplug ANY of 'em before he got ta Vanellope."

Ralph was starting to feel bad in his stomach, the thought of Turbo going around the code void of the game and just pulling cords out willy-nilly sickening to him.

"O-Okay…" the big man moaned, rubbing his face "We got that much out but…but what about Snake?"

The two went silent, Felix slowly walking up to them with the tea tray.

"Uh."

The two looked at the small man, grief on their faces. He may have been nervous before but the Repairman knew he had to come to the aids of his loved ones now. He placed the tray at the table and took a seat.

"Okay guys, let's talk."

And so they did, the adults finally having chance to air out their worries and anger in a place where no other heads butted in. Up above, Vanellope slept but she did so restlessly. Her body continued to glitch and stutter, the fever finally starting to subside.

When would she get better?

Hours crept on and before the lot knew it, the sun began to rise in Litwak's again. Felix and Calhoun slept soundly in their apartment, the woman holding tight onto her love.

 _ **RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!**_

" _Mmm?"_

 _ **RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!**_

Felix sleepily reached over and took the phone "H-Hello?"

 _Mumble mumble mumble._

"… _.Yes?"_

 _Mumble mumble mumble._

Felix sat up, coming to awake with a startled look on his face. He looked over, patting Calhoun softly on her cheeks.

"Tammy? Tammy!"

"Hmmm?"

"It's for….it's for YOU!"

"Ooh, who is it?" the Marine yawned "If it's Marky, tell 'im-."

"It's SURGE!"

The woman's eyes shot open, turning around "Surge?"

The man nodded, a hand covering the other end of the phone _"I don't know!"_

Calhoun took the phone in her hand, an uncertain look going about her face "Hello?"

" _Yes, Mrs. Tamera Jean Calhoun. I am sorry for waking you up at such an early hour but there is business that you and I need to attend to."_

Moments later, Calhoun was marching her way down to the Surge's station, Felix and Ralph following her in worry.

"Aaaaw, MAN! She's on a warpath!" Ralph said, surprised that the woman wasn't leaving BOOT-PRINTS in the hard tile floor.

"Wait til AFTER we're done an' we'll see if I'm on a warpath or not!" she growled, going up the stairs and THROWING the door open to the man's station "Okay, WHAT is it?!"

Surge turned around in his chair, not at all afraid of the woman's presence before him.

"Ah, Miss Calhoun."

"SARGENT ta ya."

"Tammy, simmer!"

"Yes, Sargent." The man said, his desk covered with folders "Please have a seat. All of you. We have things that need to be discussed."

"What about?" Ralph asked, arching his brow "An' why so early?"

"Given the SEVERITY-"

"SEVERITY?!" said Calhoun "Jezum CROW, Surge! What kinda emergency IS this?"

"IF….I may continue." The man said, clearing his throat "As I was saying, we have been getting reports of unwanted activity going on in the arcade. Characters have been rounded up, pushed about, BULLIED."

Calhoun felt some relief coming over her, her eyes going bright "Oh, FINALLY. Ya've taken my reports. For a moment, I thought that ya were just gonna but 'em on tha backburner an-!"

"Don't get too carried away YET, Miss Calhoun."

"Sargent."

"These reports aren't anythin' YOU'VE put in."

The woman looked confused, at a lost to what Surge was talking about "Then? What-?"

The man placed his hands on the folders, opening them up.

"These reports are on YOU."

"WHAT?!" shouted Felix jumping up from his chair "Someone called TAMMY in?!"

"Yes, they have." The man said "And they've given us QUITE the amount of reports and complaints on her."

"Wait, WHAT?!" the woman said "Hold on a second! Who's-?! Who's reported me?!"

"Various anonymous sources, ones who have requested their names not go out for PROTECTION issues. You of all people should know that."

"But-!?" Calhoun stammered "What are these charges based on?!"

"Intimidation." Surge began, reading through the many papers "Threats on lively hood, battery charges-!"

"BATTERY-?! When-?!"

Calhoun looked at the papers, many of them containing photos.

"Where-?! Where did these come from?!"

"From our sources, of course." The glowing blue man said as he handed the trio the photos.

They were all grainy, black and white but in the midst of all the mess the three could make out what APPEARED to be the familiar and unmistakable shape of a Hero's Duty uniform and something that looked like Calhoun.

"This can't be real." Said Ralph "Uh-uh, this ain't real. I know it's not!"

"But that's photographic evidence."

"OF WHAT?!" Ralph roared, standing up and nearly hitting his head on the ceiling "These-! These are just cruddy photos! I can't even tell what tha heck is goin' on in any of 'em?"

"From the report of this, it was taken when Calhoun went to Killer Swamp Three Delux to-!"

"Hold on a sec."

Calhoun looked at the reports again, the name of the game flooring her; SNAKE'S GAME.

"Oh no. Oh no no no no no no! Baby no!" the woman said "There is NO WAY ya can take these seriously!"

"And why not?"

"SNAKE wrote these in!" the woman said, slamming a hand down on the papers "Of all the reports you're going to take SERIOUSLY, it's from HIM?!"

"And why SHOULDN'T I take his reports seriously? Is he not a citizen of this arcade?" the protector said, looking at the woman with a surprising amount of calm.

"H-He is!" the woman stuttered, trying to find a better way of explaining herself "But-!"

She looked back at Surge, the man awaiting her response. Calhoun had never felt so cornered in her life, the woman used to putting other characters on the spot but this time? This time it was HER turn to be in the hot seat but she couldn't let this defeat her, not when she knew there was foul play afoot.

"Surge, ya gotta listen ta me." the woman said "YES. I do admit that I have an animosity towards Snake-"

"So you confess to these incidents?"

"SHE NEVER SAID THAT!" Felix said, looking angrier than his wife "How do ya get off-!"

"Honey, I can handle this." The Marine said as she continued, pushing down her enraged husband "Surge, I can say here with every fiber of my code that I DID NOT assault, harass or THREATEN anyone, let alone anyone from that game. I haven't been near it in WEEKS!"

"But the tips and photos are stacking up." The man said "And I cannot just leave this case open to-!"

"This is bull-donkey!" shouted Ralph "Those things can easily be forged an' ya know it!"

"Ralph, not now!"

"How can ya go on such flimsy evidence, Surge? It's not fair!"

"Flimsy?" the man said "You call it that but I do believe that you're missing the bigger point in all of this, young man. One that YOU should know."

"ME?"

"It isn't just that Calhoun has been going around and roughing up games."

"ALLEGEDLY." The woman said, sitting back HARD in her chair and SLAMMING her heavy boots on the table "Don't forget that important word, SUUUURGE."

"It isn't just that Calhoun is ALLEGEDLY roughing up games." The blue man continued "It's her TARGET."

"Target?" asked Felix.

"All our anonymous tips? They came in from BAD GUYS."

A terrible feeling came over the trio, Calhoun already aware that the trap was now inescapable.

"Didn't ya say these were ANONYMOUS?" Ralph growled in annoyance.

"In name only…" Surge said "But in STATUS, the pattern is there. And the person who began the reports WARNED us that things would continue like this."

"Who is this PERSON?" growled Calhoun but Surge shook his head.

"I am sorry but that is confidential."

"CONFIDENTIAL my butt!" the woman shouted "This is all a set up! This is blackmail! A-!"

A LIST?

"We can't have things like this happening here anymore." Said Surge "We've moved passed the days of labeling bad guys and if Calhoun is targeting them-?"

"But she's not."

Everyone looked up, Ralph standing tall and ANGRY.

"I know she's not and I know whoever put these reports in is just tryin' ta get her in trouble."

"Then that would be quite a LOT of lies, Ralph."

"AN' MAYBE IT IS!" the man said again "Because this makes no sense! I don't remember a moment when Calhoun moved outta our sights ta do this an' this isn't like her!"

"You never know, Ralph."

"AN' YA DON'T KNOW A LIE WHEN IT'S RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOUR FACE!" the man roared again, feeling like smashing the Surge's deskin half "How can ya take tha word of some characters an' NOT assume that somethin' fishy is goin' on?!"

"It's a new day, Ralph." Said Surge "We HAVE TO listen when a Bad Guy puts in a report and with so many, it's OBVIOUS that this has been a targeted attack."

"Surge, please listen." Said Felix "There's gotta be a way to clear this up. I KNOW Tammy would NEVER target someone based on their roles. We're all against that!"

Ralph felt a tingle run from his toes to the top of his head. Maybe Felix wouldn't do a thing but for the past few weeks could he say the same thing about himself? Suddenly, everything started to crash around him once he realized what was coming to play.

"There is no way-!"

Ralph looked at the Surge but it was clear to his friends that he was desperate more than anything now.

"Surge, if this is about Bad Guys then listen to ME! I'm one!" the man said "An' I can stand on Calhoun's side an' say she didn't do it! Does that count for anythin'?!"

"It's YOUR word against so many more Ralph so sorry."

"But-! But-!"

Don't say it Ralph, don't say it!

"I SAVED THE ARCADE!" the man said in a last ditch effort to TRY to pull Calhoun out from the slaughter "I-! WE-! Th-that should be usable for-!? For….."

The man panted, Surge eyeing him angrily.

"If you're asking for special treatment…..then you're not going to get it, Wreck-It."

The sheer coldness of Surge's tone made Ralph feel as if he were smaller than a Nicelander, his power gone. NO matter what he did or say, he couldn't save Calhoun from a threat that didn't come at her life but rather her DIGNITY.

"As it is…"Surge said "And with things as crazy as they are, the punishment won't be too harsh."

"TOO HARSH?" Calhoun said with a brow raised "It's bad enough ya won't believe me. That's punishment right there!"

"You will be able to carry on your work duties, given you are a main character and all." The man said as he adjusted his glasses "But for the time being, you are not allowed to exit you game for the next SIX MONTHS.

SIX.

MONTHS.

 **SIX MONTHS OF IN GAME SUSPENSION.**

"WHAT?!" hollered Felix, nearly dropping to the floor.

"HOW CAN YOU DO THAT?!" bellowed Ralph, nearly pulling Surge from his eat.

"These are the rules and on matter your status, no matter your work. Once you step out of your game you're all just like everyone else when it comes to the LAW."

Calhoun said nothing, feeling as if the floor had been RIPPED from under her. Only a year into being a residence of Litwak's and she already had a massive black mark on her record, and what was worse?

She would be unable to go to her other home in Niceland.

Six months without Felix?

This was the worst possible punishment.

"Please, Surge! PLEASE!" begged Felix, on his knees, hands folded together "PLEASE RECONSIDER!"

Calhoun looked down at her pleading husband, remembering the time the racers had fallen to their knees when Vanellope threatened to 'execute' them. She had thought the moment was a joke but seeing someone she cared for beg, to see someone who loved her HUMILIATING himself in such a manner….

 **KARMA**.

"I am sorry Felix but the sentence will be carried out." Said Surge "But maybe-"

"YES?!"

"Maybe if there is enough evidence to clear this up, we can do something about it. As of right now however, the final decision still stands."

The three looked at each other, helpless to do anything as the sounds of a crowd began to form outside. Felix ducked down, knowing things were only about to get worse.

"Here it comes…"

AS soon as the group exited the office they were BOMBARDED with news reporters, all viing to get the dirt on what had just happened.

"DO YOU HAVE A STATEMENT SARGENT?!"

"IS IT TRUE YOU PLANNED ON ROUNDING UP BAD GUYS?!"

"WHAT'S THIS RUMOR GOING AROUND THAT YOUR MARRIAGE TO FELIX WAS NOT LEGAL?!"

So much talk, so much yelling, none of the three could take it but when Calhoun tried to make a dash for Fix-it-Felix Jr.

"AH!"

She felt a strong arm pull her back, one of her larger NPC soldiers taking her back to her own game.

"Sorry, Sarge."

"But-!"

"TAMMY!" Felix cried out as he reached for his wife, but he and Ralph were caught in the sea of reporters, both becoming separate "T-TAMMY!"

"DON'T WORRY ABOUT ME, HONEYGLOWS!" cried Calhoun, trying to put on a brave face "Don't worry about m-!"

The cries of the crowd drowned out the words of the Marine, both men pushed back to their own game.

"Isssssn't that heartbreaking?"

Snake and the rat sat at the entrance of Killer Swamp Three Deluxe, the smaller of the two baddies astounded by the chaos only a few yards away from them.

"What-? What in tha arcade happened?"

"I guessssss the Sssssargent'sssss true colorssss came out." Snake said, a faux tone of concern if there were any.

Rat could only look on in awe but before he knew it, the reporters started to head THEIR way.

"WHOA-!"

"SNAKE!"

"SNAKE-OIL!"

The snake stood solid before the reporters but he played concern for the camera.

"Do you know anyone PERSONALLY who was on Calhoun's hit list?!" asked one of the reporters, a camera moving up as the mic was shoved into Rat's face.

"I-! Er-!"

"MANY of my friendsssss have been harasssssed by Calhoun before. Myssssself included." Snake began, his tone gloomy "And while I have tried many, COUNTLESSSSS timesssss to extend my hand in a friendly manner towardsssss her, ssssshe hassss only rejected me and ssssso many other baddiesssss."

"But what about Ralph?" asked a reporter from the crowd "She has always been good friends with HIM."

"It is obvioussssss…." Snake continued "That sssssshe hasssss been ussssing him asssss a meansssss of getting clossssser to certain acesssss and rewardsssssss."

Rat looked up at his 'friend', stunned by what he was hearing.

"It wasssss obvioussss from her behavior towardsssss me and how ssssshe passssed off many of my concernsssss about the other RACERSSSSS in SSSSUgar Russsssh."

* * *

" _Sssshe would alwayssss ignore my reportsssss of thosssssse othersssss bullying Vanellope. I care for the Presssssident DEARLY and I've been willing to give thosssse children a chancccce but it is clear that they can not improve themssssselvessss. They ssssimple cannot beat their programming becaussssse asssss we all know, they were ALL programmed to be bulliessssss to Vanellope'sssss greatnessssss."_

"THIS-! IS-! _**BOOOOOOOTY!**_ " shouted Minty as she picked up a bookcase and HURLED it out the window. Rancis looked at the hole before looking back at the girl.

"….REALLY, Minty?"

The other racers gatherer around the television, unsure how to take to the news being reported.

"Why that NO GOOD, FART BRAINED, LOUSY EXCUSE FOR A PURSE!" wailed Taffyta "He's fibbin' on tha Sarge an' now he's tellin' MORE lies about us!"

"I can't believe this is happening." Said Nougetsia "I thought-! I thought Sargent Calhoun was UNTOUCHABLE! How could someone believe that she would do something like that?!"

"Well, apparently they did!" said Taffyta "Now she's in trouble and Snake is blabberin' more junk ta sink us!"

"Uuuurgh! There's gotta be somethin' we can do!" said Lumi "Anyone we can tell! There's gotta be a way ta clear her name!"

"HOW?!" said Candlehead in worry "I don't think ANYONE is gonna believe us even if we had somethin' ta prove Mrs. Tamera Jean Calhoun Fix-it-Felix Jr. innocent!"

"Yeah, ya know that Lum." Grunted Taffyta, sitting hard on the couch "They never believed us before but NOW?

Silence fell upon the group as they watched Snake on the TV, the reptile grinning from ear to ear as he continued to play the victim to Calhoun's terrible 'targeting'.

"I've got a baaaaaaad feelin' 'bout this, guys." Said Snowanna "A bad, bad, bad, BAD feelin'!"

Snowanna's predictions couldn't have been more on the nose as things didn't hit the arcade the next day but that every EVENING.

It all started with the outsiders, many of them rushing to Sugar Rush to loudly show their disdain for the other racers yet again but this time it seemed more heated and uglier. NOTHING was stopping people from marching to their homes and damaging them, the shouts of cheaters, bullies, and various other things worse than before.

Even the game's normal security could not take the heat of the crowds and with Vanellope out of commission?

There was nothing to do BUT hide.

Vanellope herself lay unaware of the incidents, still sick with her terrible fever as Sour Bill sat by her side to aid her. The sounds of the crowds were not pointed in their direction so neither had any indication of what was happening outside their windows.

But the other racers knew.

Homes were trashed, karts were flipped and any signage that showed anyone but Vanellope was destroyed, Sugar Rush turned into utter chaos overnight.

But they all knew who was responsible for it.

They knew who had flipped the dial up and gotten things going but they could do nothing about it. No matter how much of the truth they knew, no one would believe them.

* * *

"It's okay, Felix. It's okay." Nicelander Mary said mournfully as she hugged the repairman, the man burying his face in his work gloves.

"Are you certain that there was nothing you could do to convince Surge otherwise?" asked Gene "I mean, how could he POSSIBLY think that Miss Tamera was responsible for all those atrocities?"

"Genie? Ya know Surge isn't too keen on certain things." Ralph grumbled as he looked down at the chubby Mayor "What he sees is enough proof for him."

"Maybe you can talk to him, dear?" Mary suggested "I mean-!"

"ARE YOU KIDDING?" the small man said, his voice pitching deeper in anger "If that bulb-head listened to US we wouldn't have-!"

The man stopped, feeling his temples starting to throb. He took a deep breath….and then headed for the liquor cabinet.

"THIS ISN'T THE TIME, GENE." Shouted Mary.

"What have I done, what have I done, WHAT HAVE I DONE?!" Felix moaned to himself, Ralph placing a hand on his shoulder.

"This isn't your fault buddy."

"Then why does it feel like it is?" Felix murmured "I-! I feel like I let Tammy down, like I let EVERYONE down again!"

Again?

"I cudda said more, I cudda said somethin' else ta get her outta this but-! But I CHOKE! AUUUURGH!"

"You stood up for the person you love, that is what counts dear." Mary said, taking a step in bravery "And it doesn't matter what those other hooligans say. I KNOW Young Tamera didn't rough anyone up! Not with the way she's helped US."

Felix looked down at the little woman in pink. For so many years it had been he who helped her but at the moment he felt as if the positioned had been switched. Gene came back, a glass in his hands which was emptied in one gulp.

"What were we talking about again?"

"GENE."

"Ooooh, I don't know you guys." Felix said, suddenly wrapping his arms around both Nicelanders and bringing them closer "I…."

He sighed, unaware that he was now SQUISHING both Mary and Gene close to his body.

"It feels like that fiasco from LAST year. I try ta help but I screw things up an' can't fix anythin'!"

"Uh, Felix?" coughed Gene.

"Is it because people thought I chose sides? I wasn't doin' that! I just wanted tha best for EVERYONE!"

"Ark-! Felix?" Mary gagged.

The man held the Nicelanders tighter, pixel tears coming from his eyes.

" _ **WHAT AM I MISSIN' GUYS?! WHAT AM I DOIN' WRONG?!"**_

"Well, for starters you're gonna pop those two." Said Ralph.

"Ah, SORRY!" Felix gasped, letting the two Nicelanders back onto the ground gently "I just don't know what ta do anymore! We've never had things turn this way since Turbo was around."

"Turbo may be gone…" growled Ralph as he looked out the window "But that doesn't mean his MENTALITY disappeared with him."

Indeed, Ralph was slowly starting to realize that despite his own efforts and work there was still so much in the arcade that needed 'fixing' but those repairs were going to come at him in ways that challenged him beyond his comfort zone. He knew there was a reason for Calhoun's frame-up, that someone wanted her out of the picture but why? What could possibly happen around Litwak's if Calhoun did not join Ralph and Felix around?

As the days went on, the two men were about to find out.

Because of Calhoun's game-arrest Felix's journeys to Sugar Rush were cut in half as he could not bear to think of his beloved wife being cooped up in her game for so long. This meant that Ralph was now on his own treks to visit Vanellope but each day he walked into Sugar Rush….

The grey it looked.

At first he didn't take notice but over time, things became far darker, far dirtier, looking the way it had when all the trouble began. Vanellope's recovery was painfully slow and it seemed that her condition was not getting better, the girl still lay in bed and unmoving, her body near transparent as glitched and shook.

"I'm sorry, kid…." Ralph said in anguish "Sorry that I can't keep things together for ya."

The big man tried to go for the girl's tiny hand….but he went right through her.

~As for things on the track~

 _ **BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!**_

The crowds of hecklers were growing worse day by day and soon even the candy people had quickly retreated to their homes for cover once the arcade had closed. The racers were left to their bearings, the donut cops and guards outnumbered and unable to keep the vicious patrons at bay.

"Oh, this is terrible." Candlehead meeped, she and Lumi watching the action from within the garage "B-But what can we do?!"

"I-I dunno…" the boy said, lost for ideas and plans on how to improve the mess that lay before him, feeling helpless and as useless as he had been when he was buried back at the dump.

Never in his NIGHTMARES could he imagine a sight to what was going on, the once bright and sweet candy land transformed within days into a wasteland of exhausted racers and angry spectators. All thoughts about getting his kart back in order and finding his family were halted as how could he think of anything else when he and the others were constantly dodging the vitriol of so many characters who were convinced that they were nothing but BAD GUYS?

It was apparent that Snake's plans had worked, the creature capable of tightening his grasp on the game without lifting a finger. With Calhoun out of the way and the adults split between their own concerns, the reptilian's cronies were free to go about, Snake using what access he had to the game as a means of even keeping the donut cops unaware of the leads they were being strung by.

Day after day, Taffyta had to watch as her friends were pushed and shoved, their home and things WRECKED and every attempt they made to relay the truth to the outside?

No one believed them.

People only saw them as bullies and Surge continued to ask them for PROOF of the cases but no matter what they did they could grab upon none. And soon it began to work its way through the racers. They gradually became discouraged, depressed, and down. They soon stopped trying to fight back, leaving their things to the wolves and leaving many things that once brought them love and fun.

As the days past, Vanellope slowly started to regain some of herself though she was still far too weak to leave the chambers of her room. She would wonder what the others were doing and wonder why from the closed curtains of her window why the sun didn't shine as much as it had before. She could no longer hear as many sounds of engines, the sweet smell of the land gone.

"R-Ralph?"

The big man looked up, his head resting at the foot of the large bed.

"Where…where is everyone? What happened?"

The big man didn't know what to say. When Vanellope had finally gained enough strength to sit up he had refrained from telling her what had happened to Calhoun and he dreaded imagining her reaction to seeing things outside the castle. All he could do was try to keep her comfortable, to keep her happy but he knew once he stepped outside the castle things did not reflect the same.

He never wanted this. He had only wanted to protect Vanellope, to keep her from danger and to keep her from being bullied but now things had gone too far but he was still twisted in his thought, still conflicted on what to do or who to talk to.

He knew the very person who was causing all the grief in the game but was turning him in the right thing to do? Surge had set him back to reality, reminding him that even with his heroics he still had to abide to the same lists of rules as everyone else but at the same time, there was a knot within them. A knot that a certain bad guy was now using to rope everyone else up and sway the arcade in his favor.

If Ralph were to confront this baddie, one that he had put so much trust into, what would the rest of the arcade think about _**HIM?**_ He HAD considered the character his brother in arms, someone who knew of the pain of being labeled a bad guy but the more Ralph looked around it was becoming clear that Calhoun's words were right.

He was no victim.

He was adding fire to the problem.

* * *

Lumi stay hidden in Taffyta's cottage, the boy fearful of stepping out as he knew that if Snake were spreading around rumors to the racers' activities he was more than certain he was only giving more power to the idea that HE was a VIRUS. The two girls, Taffyta and Candlehead, did their best to be hospitable, the cake-themed racer still staying with her friend in fear of being alone in her cottage.

"Ya know, I actually wished for a long time I did have roommates…." Taffyta said, trying to smile throught it all "But I wish it had happened in HAPPIER times."

"I'm sorry, guys." Lumi sighed "I betcha were all lookin' forward ta a buncha fun adventures n' stuff. Bringin' up new lands an' all'a that?"

The boy looked down, not even hungry for Candlehead's ooey-gooey brownie sundae.

"I just mucked things up."

"This isn't YOUR fault." Taffyta said, angrily "It's SNAKE'S fault an' his widdle Pet Princess."

"Taffyta, stop." Candlehead sighed "Vanellope's been sick for so long an' we still haven't gotten word if she's any better! She didn't have anythin' ta do with this!"

"He's her FRIEND! One that she _**FORCED**_ on all'a us so she has some blame in this!" the girl said, Lumi just looking off into the distance "I knew there was somethin' off 'bout that sidewinder tha second he came in here but OH NO. No one has ta listen ta Taffyta! Not even when I'm RIGHT?"

"When-?"

The two girls looked over, Lumi stirring the spoon in his ice-cream.

"When did he even come here?" the boy asked "I mean, er, to your game. Not ta tha arcade I mean."

"About a few weeks after Miss Von Princess got back here." Taffyta said, rolling her eyes "Everyone in this stupid arcade was celebratin' her as if she were the second comin' of Donkey Kong an' everyone wanted a piece of her."

"What do ya mean?"

"What I mean is, people who didn't care about Sugar Rush before, people who thought we were all just baby characters, started comin' in an' acted as if they had known about Vanellope's situation before, as if they had been in here an' were fightin' for her freedom all these years."

Lumi narrowed his eyes "M'dad calls people like them LEECHES."

"That's exactly what they were." Continued Taffyta, Candlehead holding her head down in gloom "Bit over bit, more an' more people came in an' tried ta push us away, as if they were all ho-holier than thou. It was so stupid. An' even worse when Mr. Stank Butt aided 'em."

"Ralph?" Lumi said.

"Taffyta, that's not what happened." The candle-headed girl said "A-at least, it wasn't that bad before…."

"Before what?"

The girl looked over at Lumi. She wasn't as mad as Taffyta but he could tell that she was very much upset, wanting to get something off her own chest.

"C'mon, just tell me. I'll listen."

"I thought Mr. Wreck-it-Ralph an' Mr. Fix-it-Felix Jr. were gonna be like everyone else." Said Candlehead "That they were just gonna be mean ta us an' keep callin' us BULLIES but before Mr. Snake-Oil came in?"

The girl shook her head in confusion, feeling so frustrated.

"They were both nice ta us! Even Mrs. Tamera Jean Calhoun Fix-it-Felix Jr! When they got ta know us, they-! They…."

"You're sugar coatin' it, C-Butt." Taffyta broke in "Maybe they were playin' it up ta lure us in but I BETCHA they thought we were just rotten jellybeans! I know they did! I know-!"

"You're only sayin' that because of Turbo!"

The other children jolted, surprised once more ta see Candlehead launch into a fury, especially at TAFFYTA.

"Ya can't be this mad, ya can't!" the mint-chip girl said, nearly knocking over her sundae "You're only sayin' that-! Because Turbo thought of us like this!"

"N-No I'm not!" stammered an angry Taffyta.

"Yes, ya are!" Candlehead was quick to reply "Turbo thought we were nothin'! That's why he attacked our game when there were other racin' games his speed around!"

"Candlehead!"

"Turbo was a mean man! A BAD MAN! A BAD GUY!" Candlehead went on "But that doesn't mean that Mr. Wreck-it-Ralph an' everyone else are! They never thought we were bad!"

"THEN WHY DO THEY NOW?!" Taffyta shouted, her voice breaking "Ya say all'a that but ya know how they treated us! Ralph would go about us givin' us tha stink eye an' when Snake said we were cheatin' he believed him! He believed him over US because he's a BAD GUY!"

Lumi was starting to piece things together, the stories of both girls conflicting in their own way but also giving out clues to how the trouble began.

"Wait a second…" the boy said, the girls looking at him "I….I think I get this."

"Huh?"

"Taff, ya said Snake came in with all those boot-lickers who tried ta edge up on Vanellope's Princess, President, whatever status, right?"

"Uh, yeah."

"An' C-Butt, ya said before Snake came Wretched Ralph didn't really mind ya guys, specially after he got ta know ya?"

"Ah-huh….."

"Snake really has influence on people…." The boy said "An' he's been here HOW long?"

"Maybe a year or two before we got here." Taffyta said "He has no excuse sayin' he's a new game an' he didn't know."

"So he was around even when Turbo was doofy King Candy?" mumbled Lumi "I wonder if he hung out with 'em or somethin'."

"If he did, we didn't know." Said the strawberry racer "All I know is that once he showed up, he was leadin' Vanello-sleaze an' Dolf down all these paths an' stuff. Then he gets all his butt-buddies ta come ta our races an' make up all these stories that we're cheatin' an' nothin'. An'….well, ya know tha rest."

"An' still no one will do anythin'?!"

"He's got bad guy immunity." Taffyta shrugged "Because of how people were scared of 'em in tha past, now they're playin' it up that they can't do anythin' bad an' ANY story they make up 'bout someone else treatin' 'em bad is true. Look what happened ta Calhoun! We KNOW Snake is behind that but since he's a bad guy an' she's not-?"

"He got her stuck in her game for SIX MONTHS."

Lumi was BOILING on the inside. He knew that things were bad before but he could have never imagined that things would take such a turn. Suddenly the idea of getting the truth out returned but he still had no idea how to go about it. Many of the racers were now far too scared to do anything, let alone tell anyone what was happening to them and Candlehead?

The bandages were still on her face, reminders of what had happened between the girl at the end of the boy's failed race.

Lumi may have never met King Candy before but he was starting to understand how the man gained his powers and what it was like to live under him.

"Maybe once Vanellope is well again, she can do somethin'." Candlehead said, still having hope and heart in the ailing President "I mean, Mrs. Tamera Jean Calhoun Fix-it-Felix Jr. IS her friend. She'd have ta do somethin'!"

"Unless Snake makes up another lie ta drag her in." Taffyta said with a snort, rolling her eyes "An' ya saw. Even FELIX wasn't able to get his wife out so what is Vanellope gonna-?!"

 _ **KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!**_

" _TAFFYTA! CANDLEHEAD!"_

The trio looked up, hearing Gloyd's voice at the door. Taffyta was on her feet in a second, opening the door to let the panting boy in.

"What's goin' on Gloyd?"

"It's-it's-!" the boy panted "Candlehead! Your house!"

The children rushed from the strawberry cottage and tore off down the lane, greeted by a TERRIBLE sight. Since taking residence with Taffyta, the outsiders to the game had finally made their move on the cake girl's house as she had feared. The doors and windows had been broken and knocked in, the girl's furniture and belongs hanging out and sprawled all over the place. Various insults and terms had been spray painted all over the walls and the carefully planted berries and flowers had been trampled on and killed.

Taffyta went as white as her hair as she looked upon her friend's home, the beauty she had always loved stripped away by hateful pixels.

"Oh my gobs…."

Lumi felt a rush of air going past him as the girl ran into her house.

"CANDLEHEAD!"

The lights came on inside as the others could hear various sounds of crashing and flipping furniture but it didn't come from any vandal.

"What tha heck is she doin'?"

"T-Taffyta! Lumi!" the girl cried out, tears streaming down her face.

"Candlehead! What's wrong?!"

"M-My cookbook!" the girl wailed "IT'S GONE!"

Some games away, Snake and rat lounged in the break lounge of the reptile's game. Despite all the noise that was happening elsewhere, the mood in the breakroom was calm, the snake and rat the only two inside as the tv played above them.

"You know, Ratty?" Snake began, his sharp fingers going through a bag of chips "It isssss quite unfortunate that thingsssss have taken quite the turn here, don't you think?"

The rat said nothing, having not the appetite to finish anything.

"But I am sssssure that once Von Ssssschweetzzzz returnssss, we can ssssstill enjoy the benefitsssss."

"H-How do ya say that, Snakey?"

"I jusssst did what ssssshe and the Wrecker were too hessssitent to do…." Grinned the reptile "If you want to take care of your pesssst problem-?"

Snake then CRUSHED the chips under his palm, the slow snaps and pops making the rat's tail twitch.

" _Usssse_ _ **FEAR**_ _."_


	24. Chapter Twenty Three- Contemplation

Chapter Twenty Three- Contemplation

"I brought ya some pie."

Calhoun let out a heavy sigh as she looked at her husband, the little man trying his best to keep up a positive mind through the trying times.

"Thanks, babe." The Marine said, a small smile appearing as she took the tin and placed it on the table of her bunk "An' judgin' by tha clock, it took ya only about two minutes an' fifteen seconds ta get here. Ya must'a been really gunnin'."

"Can ya blame me?" the man said sadly as he went into his wife's arms "I've been worried 'bout ya all day."

"Awww, ya know I'm alright here. This is my stompin' ground!"

"Even so, I just can't leave ya."

The two were quiet for a moment, even the sounds of exploding bombs and screeching Cybugs unable to break them.

"Have ya told Vanellope yet?"

"No." said Felix, shaking his head "Ralph an' I-? She's….she's still too weak right now an' we know if she were ta find out-"

"We're gonna hafta tell her tha truth."

"But do ya think that's such a good idea?"

"Even as bad as it is, we can't keep tha kid in tha dark 'bout this an' I know she's gonna ask." The Marine said "I think, when she gets better that is…just call me an' I tell her what happened."

"Okay." The man said, weakly "Ya don't hafta so-!"

"Yes. Yes, I do." The woman broke in, her arms draped around the man's shoulders "As a hero, I hafta tell tha truth as I did with Surge."

The little hero grumbled, feeling very cross as he recalled how Surge had treated his wife "But we all saw what Surge did."

"As much as I dislike it, I know tha glow-bug was only doin' his job." The woman continued "I'm mad. Mad as HELL but I could tell from his eyes, tha way he told me everythin', he really believed this."

"So ya don't think it was a bribe?"

Calhoun shook her head "Surge is many things. He's a massive stick in tha mud but he's not that low. He's far too concerned with followin' tha rules ta even consider takin' a bribe from ANYONE. Even if he were threatened, I get tha feelin' he'd still walk his guns."

"Then I guess whoever faked all'a that stuff, whoever called ya in, they did a pretty good job of coverin' their tracks."

"Maybe, from tha rest of tha arcade…." Calhoun said with a little hiss in her tone "But from ME? HE left me PLENTY'A clues because HE wanted me ta know exactly what he was doin'. But he covered everythin', made sure that no matter what I did, no matter what WE do that I would still wind up in trouble."

Felix took ahold of Calhoun's hand, kissing it "So what do we do now?"

The anger that the Marine held slowly faded, her body slumping against the cot "Right now? Let's…let's just enjoy these moments, okay?"

Lllllllllllllllllllll

Vanellope was starting to feel better even though she was still very much unstable and glitching without control. Her head was still spinning and a chill was about her but things were coming in clearer, her thoughts returning.

"Ralph?"

The big man remained at the foot of her bed, smiling "H-Hey."

"H-How….how long have I been out?"

"F-For a while." The big man grimaced "Ya had us all worried but-! But I knew ya could pull through! You're my Vanellope!"

The racer would have offered the big man a grin but her stomach suddenly felt queasy. She rested back on her pillows, legs shaking.

"I've never felt this bad." She said "Even when I was out there, I never had a cold, never had a sniffle. I was lucky I guess."

"R-Really?"

The girl shook her head "Tha worst I had was a tummy ache from eatin' too many kettle corn-on-tha-cob but that only lasted a day. Wh-what happened ta me?"

"Sarge said it was somethin' ta do with your code." Ralph relayed "Ya just hit that glitch too many times durin' tha race."

The race was so many days ago but it felt as if the girl had just left the track. She could remember Lumi, how angry and how determined he was to throw her off the track. The only other person that hungry for her blood was the one and only TURBO, the man risking his own life to cause her to crash. The girl gripped the blankets, thankful in the moment when she found she was no longer phasing through them but a thought hit her like a bolt.

Where were the other racers?

"R-Ralph?"

"Yeah, kid?"

The girl tried to sit up as best she could, turning towards the massive window next to her. The sky was still so gray and it felt so cold. The mood had lingered around Sugar Rush for a while and it only made Vanellope wonder why. Why was Sugar Rush so bleak looking? Even as her time as 'the glitch', never had the skies been so dark and bitter.

"W-What happened ta tha others?"

Ralph said nothing, his fingers trilling against each other "Well…."

"Ralph?"

He looked up, seeing the girl frowning at him angrily. She DEFINITELY wanted to know what was happening outside her chambers and that alone was driving some energy back into her.

"Don't get too worked up. Ya still need ta recover." The big man said, trying to avoid the questions "They….they've been QUIET since ya got sick."

QUIET.

That wasn't a good sign.

If Vanellope could find the energy to make it down the halls she would have seen for herself what was going on but she still felt too feverish to do much. A chill came over her and she grabbed the blankets, wrapping herself up.

"See, there ya go." The Wrecker said as he took more pillows and blankets, tucking Vanellope up "I think ya need a few more days in bed."

"M-Maybe…." The girl grumped "But I already spent enough time in a volcano. I don't wanna spend more time in BED."

"Gotcha." Ralph nodded "In tha mean time, _**I'LL**_ check on tha kids."

"Ralph…."

He looked back, Vanellope appearing as if she were gearing up to say something but she stopped herself, eyes darting about as she sunk slowly into her blanket cocoon.

"I…."

The air had never felt so awkward to the girl, not sure what to say. Her eyes got bigger all before wrapping the blanket around her mouth and settling down once more. Ralph knew she was upset, that she was worried and perhaps it was best to leave her be.

And what about the kids?

With Vanellope still laid up in bed, the crowds leading to the castle were still as long as ever, 'visitors' from near and far awaiting their chance to pay the President a visit of well-wishes. As the group had noted before, with Vanellope still inside the castle it meant a few heads could go about causing trouble but with her eyes focused somewhere else they had far more free time than he could imagine or even know what to do with. Granted, after what Snake had done to a few homes they made certain to keep themselves watchful and diligent, ESPECIALLY after what had happened to Candlehead's home.

"I don't think we even need ta bump our heads together ta figure out who took her book." Taffyta growled, she and the others retreating back to their hidden clubhouse.

Candlehead lay her head on the table, not sure whether to feel angry or saddened by the theft of her cookbook.

"Snake-Waste is gonna get it." Scowled Minty, cracking her knuckles "Then ya can put in a special page 'bout cookin' up sweet braised SNAKE MEAT."

"Heh-heh, yeah." Laughed Lumi, the boy thinking of FILETS at that moment "Maybe just a bit'a meat off tha tail? Not too much ta SHORTEN HIM that much but enough ta remind him not ta mess with us racers!"

"Guys, NO!"

Everyone turned, Candlehead sitting up but her eyes still focused downwards.

"What is it, Candles?"

"I don't want anymore'a this…." The girl sniffled sadly "I….I just want my book back an' things ta go back ta NORMAL. I don't wan' people getting' hurt or smashed or-!"

"We all want that." Taffyta cut in, her voice sounding tart as she rolled her wrists "But WHOOOOO'S tha one who keeps lettin' this stuff happen?"

"Vanellope." Said Lumi angrily, the others nodding in agreement.

"There ya go."

"Taff, I know you're mad at her." The mint-chip racer said, still trying her best to be the defending voice for the ill racer "An'….an' I guess….I guess I was kind'a mad too, but I don't think it's right ta blame Vanellope for all'a this."

"An' why not?" the strawberry racer huffed, rolling her eyes "Lil Miss Special Glitch is tha one who approved of all these guys. She's tha one who let's 'em do whatever they want. This is what she wants."

"Are….are ya sure 'bout that?"

Candlehead turned her head out towards one of the windows facing towards the pathway back to the castle. The murkiness of the deep forest hid any sight of the towering castle away from the girl but she knew that Vanellope was there, ailing in bed and she felt AWFUL that she and the others couldn't do anything to help.

Or in some cases, WOULDN'T do anything to help.

Her face lit up, eyes going over to Rancis "What about your card?"

The boy jolted at the very mention of the thing. With all the excitement going on, Rancis had all but forgotten about the item but as Candlehead looked at him….

No escape.

"Ya gave her our card, right?" the cake girl said, suddenly getting very serious as she stood over Rancis "Tell Taffyta! Tell Taffyta how she liked it!"

Torvald and Rancis shook in their boots, their eyes going towards each other in fear.

"Yeah, what about that card?" said Snowanna, blinking in curiosity "Did she like it?"

"Did she say anythin'?" asked Adorabeezle.

"Ya didn't say a word 'bout tha thing, man." Said Swizzle, scratching his head "An' ya were the one super excited 'bout givin' it ta Vanellope too."

"W-Well, look-!" Rancis said, standing up before Torvald, keeping her from saying anything "W-We were so focused on getting those books that we-!"

"Ya mean ya didn't get it to her?" Candlehead whimpered, her face turning. Rancis couldn't take the eyes given to him, his heart racing faster and faster.

"Pffft." Snorted Taffyta "Told ya it was a waste. All that stuff an' Rancis didn't even get it to tha buck-tooth snot."

" _ **THAT'S NOT TRUE, TAFFYTA!"**_

Everyone stopped, eyes gazing at the peanut-butter boy who was red in the face with fury, his chest puffing in and out as he clenched his fist. He had taken Taffyta's sarcasm before but at this point he could stand it no longer. She was mad, she had every RIGHT to be mad but she was taking out her rage on the wrong person, the wrong racer.

But at the same time, the boy knew that should he tell the truth…..

He couldn't. He knew Vanellope could get the blame.

Even if he and Torvald had seen Snake rip the card.

They would think Vanellope….

"Ya gotta lotta heat under your butt, Rancy." Taffyta said, the boy hearing the bile in her tone. His anger dropped from him like a stone, feeling all sorts of fear as the girl glared at him with cold eyes.

"T-T-Taffyta, please-!"

"We can't go back now…." The girl said, crossing her arms against her chest "Ya made a big deal 'bout me signin' that stupid thing. What happened to it?"

Torvald and Rancis looked at each other again; there was no escape from this. Between Snake and Taffyta's gaze, the look from the strawberry racer felt far more terrifying.

They had to tell the truth.

Rancis gave one final look to Candlehead, the girl standing with hands close to her chest and her lip bitten in anticipation that some good greetings should come, anything to prove to the others that Vanellope did indeed care about them.

But…

"Rancis?" said Torvald.

"We…."

"W-We tried to….."

"SPIT IT OUT!" Taffyta demanded, tired of being left to wait "'M sick of all this stupid secret stuff! Tell us what happened ta-!"

" _ **HE RIPPED IT UP!"**_

Rancis had let out a YELL so loud that it was a miracle that people from OTHER GAMES hadn't heard it. His head felt a massive rush of energy as he shouted to the heavens, his anger coming out with such force that even Taffyta was blown back but it wasn't so much of Rancis' ANGER that stunned her or anyone else in the room.

"W….what?" Candlehead said weakly, her color from her face draining.

By now, tears were starting to form in Rancis' eyes, his brows still bunched in anger as he looked towards the strawberry racer and the others.

"He…." He croaked out "He….he ripped it up!"

"R-Ripped up WHAT?" asked Sticky.

"THE CARD!" Rancis shouted again, his voice echoing across the walls _**"OUR CARD! OUR CARD! SNAKE RIPPED UP OUR CARD!"**_

The other racers gasped but Taffyta and Lumi stood still. The gummie boy felt anxious, toes twitching in his shoes as he looked about the others, mind trying to figure out what to do as he watched their worried expressions. Taffyta on the other hand?

The look of contempt was clear on her face; she knew this would happen. She knew better than to get her hopes up.

"It's not true!" said Candlehead "It's not-!"

"I'm sorry, C-Butt…." Torvald said in a mournful voice, placing her hands on the still sniffling Rancis' shoulders "We….we tried to deliver the card an' we were right there."

The girl realized that at this point she was the only one who would be able to relay the story clearly. Rancis had all but clammed up, the boy refusing to say another word as he turned away from the others.

"This is what happened." The girl continued "When we got out books, Rancis realized he hadn't given the card to Vanellope so we both went back."

"Ya mean with all tha evidence in your packs?!" Lumi gasped "Do-?! Do ya realize how dangerous that is?!"

"Yeah, we DID!" shouted Torvald in anger, tired of Lumi's prodding of her "But Rancis was determined and-! An' ya know what? He was doin' tha right thing! Even if I didn't wanna go a first, I changed my mind because-! I couldn't leave Rancis by himself an' I wanted ta see Vanellope get the card too!"

"But what happened after that?" asked Minty as she approached her younger sister.

"We got to the chambers and….and Snake was there." The girl said, the other racers wincing at the very mention of the creature's name "But…."

"Yeah, but-?"

"But Calhoun was there too."

The very mentioned of the now suspended Marine hit the group by surprise; so she had been there the whole time.

"Don't tell me SHE-!"

"Don't even say it, Taff." Torvald said, standing bravely against the girl in pink "Don't even make it out like Calhoun was there palin' around with Snake cuz she wasn't!"

"I-! I wasn't gonna-!"

"When Calhoun saw me an' Rancis, she….she tried ta help us."

"She….she tried to help ya?"

Torvald looked down to see Sticky slowly approaching her, the marshmallow racer looking stunned to hear such a thing.

"But….but doesn't she side with all tha bad guys here?"

"No." the girl continued "She….she wanted us ta help. She saw tha card an' she tried ta get Snake away."

"Then why couldn't she?" asked Gloyd.

"I guess he still thinks that he has Vanellope's approval to do whatever he wants…." The butter-racer scowled, her face scrunched up in a bitter scowl "Tha way he was talkin' ta her. If ya guys had been there, ya wudda BARFED!"

Taffyta was syncing up with the girl the more she heard, mind connecting two and two together.

"Cally always does act like Snake let out a wet fart near her." The girl pondered "An' if he thought she was gettin' too uppity 'round him an' helpin' US."

Everyone watched as Taffyta's eyes OPENED so wide they thought they were going to roll out.

" _ **NO!"**_

"Taffyta!"

"Do ya-?!"

The girl began to hop on her toes, pulling her hat down.

"Do ya think Snake sprung out on her because of THAT?!" the girl said loudly "He's always been shifty 'round her but NOW of all times he pulls tha black-mail card on her?!"

Rancis looked over at Taffyta, surprised at how excited she was at the moment.

"He wouldn't dare do somethin' THAT stupid!" said Swizz.

"Considerin' how he thinks he's got everyone on a string, I wouldn't put it past him…." Taffyta growled "I betcha my favorite dancin' shoes that creep managed ta fake somethin' in order ta get Calhoun in trouble."

"Yeah, but how?" asked Gloyd "Guy musta had a lotta stuff with him if he could fool even Surge."

"B-But what about tha card?" Candlehead said again "S-So Mrs. Tamera Jean Calhoun Fix it Felix Jr got Snake off ya. Why didn't-?"

"I'm afraid…." Rancis said, his tiny voice coming out in a squeak "Even though Miss Calhoun kept the LOUT from thrashing us, he got to the card FIRST."

The boy puffed out his cheeks in anger, reliving those moments when the card was YANKED from his hand.

"He took it….and I knew I should have protested more against it since the Marine was there but-! But I was just too scared!"

"You're not the only one, Rancy." Torvald breathed out.

"That roughian took the card from us and….well, at that moment I just panicked. I knew we had to leave and we did. I can only figure that some more words were exchanged between the reptile and Sargent Calhoun but when we turned around to see if the card was going to be delivered…."

Rancis shivered in anger as he rushed over to a stool and kicked it over!

"WHOA!" shouted Minty "Simmer down. That's MY job!"

" _ **HE TORE IT TO SHREDS RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE CHAMBER DOORS!"**_ Rancis roared louder than a maddened Wrecker _**"HE WAS ONLY FEET AWAY FROM VANELLOPE AND TORE IT UP RIGHT THERE!"**_

"No!" shouted Candlehead, feeling as if her own heart had been ripped in two "No, it's not true!"

"I am afraid that it is…." Rancis said again, his eyes looking down "I'm sorry everyone but….but that's what happened."

The low point had hit again, the others sulking at the news that their well-wishes had once again been denied and any attempts to being nice were stopped by Vanellope's new friends. Even Taffyta looked as if she had broken, if but a tad. She had signed the card and known to no one…

 _She had hoped Vanellope would see it._

 _She had hoped Vanellope would think she could do something good._

 _She had hoped…._

Silence filled the little club-house as the racers didn't know what to do. Even if they had succeeded in getting the books, once again Snake had taken a strike AGAINST them and what made it worse was he had ruined something that the lot had genuinely hoped would make Vanellope feel better. Lumi on the other hand….

"Stupid sidewinder….."

"Pasty?"

"Fork tongued chum-face!"

"Um, should someone TRANSLATE that?"

"So he not only invades our home, but he gets Marine Lady in trouble an' rips up our card!" the boy shouted "An' everyone here still thinks you're tha worst?!"

"Welcome ta tha real arcade, LUM." Taffyta huffed "It's whatever makes things easier I-!"

"Ya can't stand for this!"

"Huh?"

The boy stood tall, looking down at the others "I know I promised ya guys I would help ya get your stories back, but ya know what?! We may hafta take things even FURTHER if THIS is how tha arcade is gonna treat us!"

"Further?" asked Sakura "What do you mean, darling?"

"What I mean is if NO ONE here is gonna treat us right, if Von Cheatz is still gonna act as if she's tha most invincible thing ever…..we go on STRIKE!"

" _ **STRIKE?!"**_

"WHAT?!"

At the very mention of the word, the group of children quickly began mumbling amongst themselves and thinking the worst.

Strike?

"Lumi, we can't!" said Candlehead "We….we can't strike!"

"An' why can't we?!" the boy said, standing on the table as he addressed the bunch "This is OUR home, this is OUR game an' tha last thing we're gonna take are a bunch'a fart-heads steppin' on us an' a poop-brained 'PRESIDENT' actin' all high n' mighty! We DESERVE ta live in Sugar Rush an' feel safe! We DESERVE ta enjoy our lives an' NOT be worried 'bout some outsider tryin' ta beat us up!"

"Don't ya think we want that?" said Taffyta, surprised how far things were now going "An' we were gettin' that when we found all our stuff."

"But they don't care!" Lumi responded "They don't care even if tha evidence is RIGHT in their faces! They still think you're just PLACE HOLDERS an' I know we're not! They just call me a VIRUS an' I know I'm just as much as, If not, a **BETTER** racer than Von Schneetz!"

"But a strike?" said Taffyta "How is that gonna work?"

The boy looked down at the racer in pink, sitting on the table.

"Mind if I go int'a story mode for this?"

"HOO-BOY." Said Gloyd "Bring some popcorn. We're gonna be in for tha long haul."

"My family? I told ya before we were fish people. M'pop was tha head of tha Gumbettino Fisheries an' we had been in business for I bet….A MILLION BAJILLION YEARS!"

"Um, that is rather IMPOSSIBLE." Correct Swizz "People have only been on earth for around-!"

"When we settled in Sugar Rush we made a name for ourselves! People would come all over ta find tha best fresh catch an' soon enough, ol' Von Schweetz' family decided ta hop on tha trend long after people knew how good OUR fish was."

"An'?" asked Candlehead in childish wonder "Did they like it?"

"HA! We couldn't stop gettin' orders from those rude royals!" the boy laughed "But don't tell YOU-KNOW-HOW that. M'mom would give Pop a good slam ta tha side whenever he called 'em that."

"But I don't remember that much about tha royals at all." Said Snowanna "Even with tha memories I have back of my parents-?"

"Trust me, Snowy. Tha Von Schweetz aren't as SWEET as everyone is makin' 'em out ta be."

"But then-?"

"Well, one day Pop gets this order from Queen Milka-Dud 'bout a special kind'a fish. A real rare and ROYAL treat ya can say. For a while tha Royals had been orderin' 'em for all their special snooty parties that none'a OUR families were invited to but over time, Pop was gettin' worried. He was gettin' worried cuz Milka-Dud was over-fishin' an' my Pop had this strict dealio 'bout not over-fishin' any type'a fish!"

"Because it might become extinct?" asked Taffyta.

"Bingo." Lumi said, pointing to the girl "But Milka-dud an' Smellnelopee are ragin' out 'bout this. Vanellopsleeze didn't even LIKE fish but she HAD ta have it because she thought it made her look better than us since we couldn't afford all that high-price flounder."

Lumi chuckled to himself, tapping his nose.

"Tha fish tasted like dookie anyway but because a lotta snoots went around talkin' 'bout how good it was, ya know anyone who thought that farts didn't stink HAD ta have it."

"Hmmp, no surprise there." Taffyta said "It wouldn't surprise me Vanellope acted like a butt back then too."

"Milka-Dud keeps demandin' an' demandin' we get her that stupid fish but finally, Mom an' tha rest of tha workers had enough an' they went on STRIKE!" the boy said, his arms going up in the air "It was so weird but I have NEVER seen m'mom so determined in her life!"

"Wait, your MOM was tha one who organized this?" asked Taffyta.

"Yup!" the boy nodded "She was usually tha one keepin' things in order on land, never thought she had it in her ta start a lotta ruckus. Even Milka-Dud said someone 'soft like her' couldn't lead anythin'! Boy, did that change when a bunch'a business people 'round tha kingdom joined in! They weren't havin' tha Von Schweetz' mess anymore!"

"Kinda makes me wish we had those guys round us now." Said Taffyta, her hands on her hips "Maybe then we wouldn't have all these creeps pilin' on us."

"Dad was so mad though!" continued the boy "He didn't wanna wreck tha waters here because of some fish, even if that was our job. He knew work was important but makin' sure we didn't gunk up tha place always came first! That was always an important rule in our family."

"An'…an' what did Queen Milka do?" asked Candlehead.

"She took away our fishin' licenses an' started spreadin' 'round all these rumors how terrible we were!" the boy said with a toothy grin.

"WHAT?!" gasped Taffyta.

"That's TERRIBLE!" said Nougetsia "Wasn't that bad for business?"

"Yeah, it kinda was." The boy said, still smiling "But ya see, Milka may have been blabberin' but we had a lot of LOYAL customers. YOUR families."

The group felt a tingle go up their spines; THEIR families?

"Even while Milka had gotten a buncha snooty no-bodies ta stop askin' for fish, your families always came by because they knew better than that. They heard 'bout what was goin' on an' many of 'em helped us. Things were kinda tight for a while but we always had each other's backs…..heh, kinda like now."

A sweet smile appeared on the boy's face as he continued to remanence.

"But I was scared at times. Scared that we'd go outta business. But we'd see your smiles an' faces comin' up. It made me realize just how many friends we had."

"But what about tha strike?" asked Candlehead "Was….was it worth it?"

"In tha end, someone did come ta our rescue." The boy said "Tha King."

"The King?"

"Yeah." Lumi nodded "It felt like forever but King Tobias came along an' hadda talk with m'folks. They kept it away from tha kids but after Tobias came over, everythin' was put inta place. We got everythin' restored an' soon we could fish again without worryin' bout anyone overfishin'! Tha King made certain Pop took care'a that!"

"Oh, WOW!" said Candlehead with glee "So-! So tha royals aren't bad! Tha King was nice enough ta give everythin' back so that means that Vanellope can't be bad either!"

Lumi kept himself quiet, not wanting to speak anymore than he had already done.

"ONE Royal was nice." Said Taffyta "But from tha sounds'a this, tha Queen an' Vanellope were two rotten peas in a pod."

"Oh, Taffyta." Candlehead huffed in annoyance "I'm sure they weren't bad all tha time!"

"Nearly takin' away someone business is bad, C-Butt." Said Swizzle "But I guess Lumi had a good endin' anyway."

"So what's that gotta do with a strike, LUM?"

"What I'm sayin' is that if we strike, if we get tha word out on what is goin' on, MAYBE we can stop all'a this madness! When Pop an' tha others had their strike it wasn't just because they were bein' lazy or whatever. They did it because they were tryin' ta PROTECT Sugar Rush. An' we're doin' that too!"

The boy stood up again, addressing the other racers.

"It we strike, we're not just strikin' out for US. This is for EVERYONE in tha game! Our candy people, Bearded Papa, donut cops! Anyone who's been messed with by Snake an' his bullies! But more than that, it'll be for ANYONE who's been bullied!"

"Lumi, I just don't know….."

"We don't hafta do it now!" the boy said "But when it hits, when tha final fish has been dropped we gotta plan! We're gonna show this arcade that ya can't push tha Candy Racers around!"

The energy that came from Lumi was now starting to spread onto the other racers as well, many of them feeling the fire from within.

"Yeah!" said Snowanna "They've wrecked our homes! They've pushed us around!"

"They tried to destroy our karts!"

"They told us we were nobodies! That we don't matter!"

" _ **BUT WE DO!"**_ Lumi said again " _ **WE'RE RACERS! AN' WE'RE GONNA SHOW 'EM WHAT WE CAN DO!"**_

" _ **YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"**_

Lumi had the other's attentions….with the exception of TWO.

As the others cheered, Taffyta and Candlehead stood next to each other, the strawberry racers surprisingly mute on this note.

"Taff?" the girl whispered to her friend "Do ya think-?"

The girl in pink gulped; she knew she had wanted to do something to stop Vanellope and the outsiders from mucking up the game any further but to STRIKE? That was UNHEARD of to her little mind.

"We can start now!" Lumi said, jumping off the table as he continued to rouse the others "March right up ta that castle an' show EVERYONE a taste'a-!"

"NO!"

Everyone turned, looking at Taffyta as she held her hands out.

"NOT. RIGHT. NOW."

"But Taffyta-!"

"Not now." The girl said again, eyeing the others and getting her control back "Yeah, I know things are rough as it is but no strikes."

"Oh, c'mon Taffyta!" said Minty "I can bet my butt had ya been tha one ta come up with this idea nothin' wudda stopped ya!"

"An' maybe I would have!" the girl spat back "But I just don't feel it right now. Now's not tha time for it. Vanellope's sick an' if we strike it's only gonna look worse for us."

"Awwww, c'mon!"

" _ **DON'T MAKE A MOVE TILL I TELL YA!"**_ Taffyta roared, the ears of the other racers ringing at the screeching tone "We have a mission? Yeah, yeah we do. But we don't wanna mess it up an' leave ourselves open for tha attack. We get Vanellope when she does somethin' stupid. Wait for HER ta make tha dumb move so we can show EVERYONE here just what kinda leader they're followin'."

Even though they were ready to go, even with Lumi's commands behind them, they knew better than to go against TAFFYTA, especially with how angry she was.

"Taff?"

The girl in pink looked over at Candlehead, the only one still worried about the proposal.

"I….I have a bad feelin' 'bout this…." The cake themed racer meeped, rubbing the bandage still on her head "I-I mean things were scary enough as it was….but what if people get even madder?"

"So what?" frowned Taffyta "We've been mad since they FORCED Vanellope on us. They're gonna hafta sit back an' take it like WE have."

* * *

"Presssssident?"

Vanellope nearly dropped her soup spoon on the blanket, looking up to see Snake standing at her chamber doors.

"A-Ah, Snakey!"

The girl HOPED that he had not caught her looking towards the windows, as if she were planning to make her escape.

"What brings ya here? It's kinda late, isn't it?"

"I have been ssssstanding guard at your doorsssss every sssssince you have fallen ill….." the creature said with a sweet smile "Jussssst one more act to ssssshow my gratitude for the arcade'sssss Pressssident."

"I'm NOT tha President of tha arcade, Snake….." the girl said as she stirred her soup "I don't even feel like I'm President of my own game anymore….."

"Well, you ssssshould be!" Snake chuckled as he slithered closer to the girl, Vanellope gripping the sides of her blankets "Maybe then thingsssss would be a better placccce for people like YOU and ME."

"You n' me?" the girl asked, a brow arching.

"Yessssss. Revolutionariessssss. Diamondssssss in the rough…." The creature said, placing a hand upon Vanellope's, the girl twitching uncomfortably "We have been put down for too long and when YOU came along? Heh, thissss arcade hassssss never been better!"

The vanilla racer gave a weak smile as she pulled her hands away, moving over slightly "Um, thanks for tha sentiments, Snakey but….but I think right now it would be kinda better if I went back ta bed?"

"Yessss! Anything to help you recover quicker!"

"Um….right….." the girl gulped "I feel kinda bad coopin' myself up in here for so long but….but I don't feel ready yet. My head still hurts, my stomach feels like it can't handle turns, only soup an' tha others-?"

Snake turned, his claws clicking against his scaled arms.

"The OTHERSSSSSSSS?"

"Yeah…." Vanellope said "I miss 'em."

She….MISSED the other racers?

Vanellope looked down at her sheets, feeling so alone in her room. Even if Snake stood at her presence, she KNEW something important was missing and it wasn't just Ralph and the others.

The other RACERS were missing.

She had seen and heard so many faces passing by her in her time of leave but deep within her heart they were not the faces she WANTED to see, the voices she wanted to hear.

She wanted to see the racers.

"I feels like forever since I've been gone…." The girl said, peering towards the window "I hear 'em racin', I hear tha winnin' theme playin' but that's not what I miss."

"It'ssss NOT?" Snake said, the racer clueless to the sarcasm in his voice.

"No….I miss bein' with 'em." The girl said "When I got back durin' those first few weeks? It was fun. Tha most fun I had ever had! I never knew tha racers like I had back then an' I thought…..I thought things were gonna stay like that. We were gonna stay friends."

Depression feel upon the girl once more as she looked at her soup, many thoughts running through her mind.

"Maybe I just took on too much…." She said "After all, I started ta leave 'em. Goin' ta big parties but they were never any fun because they weren't-!"

"They weren't needed." Snake cut in, scared that Vanellope could become too lost in her nostalgia "They had other thingssss to contend with! YOU can do ssssso much better on your own!"

"No! No, I can't, Snakey!" Vanellope said, coughing but determined to get her words out "I'm not tha only racer in this game! I NEED tha others!"

"They're jusssst placeholdersssss." Snake said as he shrugged his shoulders "Thingsssss made only for you to win againsssst!"

"That's not true, Snake."

The reptile looked down, Vanellope looking peeved and somewhat distraught.

"Look, I know…..I know you're tryin' ta make me feel special but do ya HAFTA DO IT while ya take away EVERYTHIN' tha others have worked for?" Vanellope asked "They aren't placeholders! I know they're not! We were all made with tha same idea in mind an-!"

Vanellope stopped herself, a sick glitch tingling on her hands but she had to get her words out.

"I think I know why tha others are so upset….." the girl said "Because I have kinda left 'em ta tha side."

Snake did not look happy; she was figuring out far too much.

"Even Taffyta's gone tha wayside from what she was actin' when I came back." Vanellope said "I know she's spicy but that's ALWAYS been her. She was so much fun ta hang out with but when everyone started pushin' her around-!"

"Sssssshe'ssss PROGRAMMED to be a BULLY, Presssssident!" Snake cut in "You can't change-!"

" _ **NO, SHE'S NOT!"**_

Vanellope's shout was loud enough to make everyone within the castle stop, the girl's body glitching but not with sickness.

But from ANGER.

"I….I know some things, kay?" Vanellope growled, trying her best to avoid eye contact with Snake "An' I KNOW SHE an' tha others were NOT programmed ta be bullies! OKAY?!"

Goodness.

Vanellope clutched her glitching hands together, feeling them shake and tingle. She knew she had let her anger get the better of her but her conscious didn't stop her. Even with Snake there she knew, she FELT she had to stand up and finally say something. And as for Snake himself-?

" _Hmmmmmm…."_

The creature rubbed his chin, resting at the edge of the bed.

"It isssss ssssso humbling of you to think of those place-. The OTHERSSSSS sssso well." He hissed "But…..perhapssss your kindnesssss issss being wassssted?"

"Snake, not now." Vanellope moaned, holding her head "I just wanna-."

"I didn't want to tell you thisssssss….." the creature said, pulling some large chunks of paper from his vest pocket.

Vanellope looked over, noticing the thick pieces and flecks of glitter falling onto the floor.

"….What's that?"

"It issss a card….." the creature said "One that the otherssssss had prepared for you."

Vanellope's heart was racing faster than she ever could; the others had come by? They had come to visit her, even after everything that had happened?

But why was Snake holding a pile of ripped paper?

The reptile placed the pieces on the bed, a mournful look on his face.

"I tried to ssssstop her." Snake said, his voice sad "But sssshe wasssss ssssso angry. Ssssso furiousssss….."

"Ya tried ta stop….WHO?"

"Muttonfudge." Snake sighed, shaking his head "The young peanut-butter one…."

"R-Rancis."

"Yesssss, him. He and the othersssss came by with a card but I guessssss Muttonfudge caught wind of what they were doing." The snake continued "When ssssshe sssssaw them given the card to ME, sssssshe took it from them and…..well."

Snake waved his hands towards the torn bits again, Vanellope's eyes widening in shock. Even as angry as Taffyta could get, there was no way she could have done this.

Could she?

"I am sssssurprisssssed that the othersssss came at all, after what I heard them sssssaying about you while you were sssssick here." Snake continued "Maybe there wasssss sssssome heart in them to even bring you ssssuch a SSSSSSMALL card….but Muttonfudge CLEARLY didn't want you to get it."

Vanellope sank back into her massive pillows, downtrodden and conflicted. There was something so fishy about this, about EVERYTHING that was going on and even if Taffyta had let her anger get the better of her why would she go out of her way to destroy the gift, and no one said anything about it to HER? Not even RALPH?

"But ssssshe wassssssn't the only one who made a fusssssss…." Snake continued "The green boy? The one that hasssss been bullying you."

Lumi.

"He laughed with her, laughed when the othersssss tried to protessssst her actionsssss. They are two rotten peasssss in a pod."

"I…."

"Yesssss?"

"I….I need time ta think….." Vanellope said, her voice shaking "Just….can I get some sleep?"

"Of coursssssse." Snake smiled as he prepared himself to leave "If you need anything, you know who to call."

"Y-Yeah…." The girl gulped again, wringing her hands "I'll-!"

She shut her mouth, staying still as she watched Snake finally slither from the room and left her alone. The room felt cold and empty, the torn pieces of the card still at the end of the bed. Vanellope didn't know what to do. She had seen the cruelty of the racers for her own eyes but she had also seen their KINDNESS, something that had long since disappeared since…

 _Since…._

 _Since Snake?_

She didn't know what to do, what to say. Vanellope was surrounded by so many people, so many faces but as she lay in her bed she realized one important thing.

She no longer knew who to trust.


	25. Chapter Twenty Four – Dyed

Chapter Twenty Four – Dyed

Vanellope's sights upon the ripped card was enough to send her back into doubt, the girl once more missing another day on the track.

"It's been too long." Said Rancis as he looked up at the castle "Way too long."

"Let her stew." Said Lumi, helping Taffyta with her kart and looking not at all concerned "At this point, I think she's fakin' it. Somethin' in tha wind 'bout all'a this makes me feel she's only stickin' it 'cuz she's scared."

Rancis scowled, not at all keen on the boy's attitude "Scared? What would she have to be scared of?"

"All tha time she lost." Lumi said, slamming the hood of Pink Lightening down "Ya guys got a good load'a races ahead of her now an' if she's had her CREEPS watchin' us she knows she's lost ground."

"Oh, Gumbettino. That's SILLY." Said the peanut-butter boy "She…she knows she can catch up just fine and we'd have no….no…."

The boy stopped himself there. He knew that no matter what he said, something negative would come up with it. As much as he wanted Vanellope to return he could on dread her new 'friends' coming with her and only serving to make their races miserable again.

"Well, at least while she's in the castle they haven't had time to heckle us AS much."

"AS MUCH." Taffyta snorted "She still has some stragglers."

"Yeah, but ya saw 'em leave once they got caught in some of tha spray." Minty laughed "'Member when Sakura hit that last-second win with a Whipple Whirl an' sprayed THA ENTIRE LOWER ROWS with cream?"

Sakura tittered to herself "It was what I had to do, darling. I wasn't gonna let a win escape me like that."

"Yeah, but they were all booin' us!" Minty continued "Till ya got 'em an' that shut 'em up real good! Haven't seen those booger faces come back for a while!"

"Heh, maybe that's what we should be doin' for tha time bein'." Smirked Lumi "Sides, it makes for great entertainment."

The group shared a laugh, feeling some comfort they could all laugh without worrying about Snake and the others breathing down their necks. And for the rest of the day things went along just as the group had guessed. Vanellope being sick meant that those who did venture into the game during the day were very few and far between and if they were heading anywhere, they were headed to the castle.

Vanellope on the other hand….

Vanellope felt MISERABLE. Her body still tingled with glitches and twitches but she was starting to feel much better, finally able to move about in her room. The girl had WANTED to move further than that but the crowds at her door made it impossible, all of them asking and scrambling for HER.

In the past maybe she would have liked it, so unused to having such positive attention thrown her way but by now the girl was absolutely SICK of it. She could tell by the way they pawed for her, the way they called her name there was something important missing from their sentiments. They didn't want to see Vanellope to check upon her health, to see if she were recovering. She knew it deep within her code that they only came to see her so they could brag to their home-games they had 'Rubbed Shoulders with a President'.

She could no longer lie to herself about the fact; her TRUE friends were few and far in-between and at the moment they were still at work. She looked over at the phone, knowing she could call Ralph or Felix or even Calhoun and chat with them during a break but she felt embarrassed, a little scared when once upon a time she would waste no time in doing so.

Why did it feel so bad now?

The hours ticked away PAINFULLY, the final call shouted out as characters went about their evening. Vanellope looked at the large grandfather clock in her room, itching with anticipation that Ralph should arrive.

" _Mr. Wreck-It! How are things?!"_

" _Is there any news of-?!"_

" _What do you have to say about-?!"_

She could hear the cameras clicking behind the door but FINALLY, Ralph burst through, looking exhausted as he slammed the doors behind him.

"They're still there?"

The big man nodded, swallowing as he cautious stepped forward.

"Y-Yeah…." The man said "Th-tha Nicelanders made ya a pie."

"THEY care about me?" Vanellope asked in surprise.

"Yeah." Ralph nodded again "They've been tryin' ta send ya gifts for a while but every time I tried ta bring one in, Snake took it an-!"

Snake.

Yet again.

The girl felt her ears buzzing as she remembered what the two had 'discussed' the other day, the pieces of paper now shoved in the dresser drawer.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Ralph asked, looking worryingly at his friend.

"Nothin'…." The girl said, her voice glum "I wanna get outta this room but….."

"Yeah?"

The girl looked to the left, then to the right, trying to figure out what to do.

"I wanna glitch through tha walls but I don't think I'm strong enough…." She said, whispering over to Ralph "If I even try ta go out an' go ta tha potty they're gonna follow me!"

"Tha crows, ya mean?" Ralph asked, Vanellope nodding.

"Sarge cudda gotten 'em away." The girl said "Has she gotten lax or somethin'? It has been rather quiet 'round here."

Ralph blanched, remember that NO ONE had told the girl what had happened to Calhoun, his throat going dry. He remembered what the Marine had told them, had told EVERYONE close to the group; let her take care of what happened. Vanellope didn't need anything else to get sick over.

"She'ssssssss….." Ralph said, feeling the AWFUL twang of the lie coming from his mouth "She's been SUPER BUSY with Cybugs. A massive infestation came in an' she an' tha boys are tryin' ta make sure they don't get out, ya'know."

"We both know." Vanellope said, her eyes widening "A Cybug invasion would be ten times as nasty as what's goin' on here."

"But ya still wanna get out?" Ralph said.

"Yeah, kinda."

"Then here." The big man said as he picked the girl up, holding her in his massive hands "Maybe it's time I took a stand on this myself."

"Stink-breath? What are ya doin'?"

Without another bit of hesitation, Ralph opened the doors to the sight of the large crowd in front of the chamber doors. They talked loudly, cameras flashing before the two heroes.

"THERE SHE IS!"

"SHE LOOKS WORSE THAN I THOUGHT!"

"IS SHE EVER GOING TO GET BETTER?!"

" _ **ENOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUGH!"**_

The halls went quiet as Ralph stood over everyone, a soft growl rumbling in his chest.

"Listen here, guys…." The man said in a HARD voice "We got us a sick kid here an' tha LAST things she needs is ya guys pokin' your noses where they don't belong! She's been cooped up in her bed for days an' just wants ta get out! Can we have one moment, JUST ONE MOMENT, of peace?! HUH?!"

The characters knew better than to get on the bad side of Ralph, their forms shrinking back as they slowly made a pathway for the big man to move.

"Thanks…." He mumbled, feeling a might bad for having to raise his voice in such a manner "Sweet toasted COCONUTS, this is crazy."

One of the 'reporters' peeked their head through the crowd, watching as Ralph and Vanellope made their way down the winding halls of the castle. Without waiting for a second they then took off, rushing out to the tracks where many of the others were starting to file in for the random roster racers.

"Has anyone seen Snake?" the little character said as they shuffled through the crowd.

"Sssssomone call me?"

The character stopped, turning and walking backward as he motioned Snake to follow him "Got some news."

"About WHAT?"

"Vanellope's finally gotten up." Said the small character "She an' Ralph are makin' tracks in tha castle."

"An' why sssshould I care about that?" hissed the reptile.

"Ya kiddin' right, Slim? Tha kid is up an' 'bout so she's more than willin' ta start askin' some questions an' I know Ralphie is gonna start askin' too."

"Puh, there'ssssss not much more me to worry about."

"Yeah, but what about Calhoun?"

"What about her?"

"Tha kid is gonna ask. Ya know how close she is ta her. What if Ralph has some ideas of his own on what happened? Ya don't think-?"

Snake rubbed his chin, remembering the close calls he had with Ralph before. Perhaps there were some things he should worry about, one of them being Ralph leading Vanellope to doubt HIM.

"I sssssee what you mean…." Snake said softly, keeping his composure clear "But there isssss nothing too much for me to worry about."

"An' tha racers?" the character said "What should we do 'bout 'em?"

"Asssss I have ssssaid ssssso many timessssss, we have to keep them ssssscared. We have to remind them that they mean nothing in thisssss cavity-ridden track." The reptile said "Jusssst keep them bussssy while I take care of thingsssss casssstle-sssside."

With a smirk on his face, Snake slithered his way to the castle, the racers unaware of what awaited them.

* * *

"This soup stinks….."

Ralph sniffed the bowl, finding a hint of NOTHING.

"Um, I smell…..canned soup?"

"Candlehead can make better than this…." Vanellope mumbled again, blearily sipping her soup "I…I know she can an' she does."

Ralph didn't reply, surprised that Vanellope was talking about the other racers in such a manner. Taking a hint from Felix, the big man leaned forward and kept an ear open; he wanted to see if Vanellope went any further with this.

"Back when Candy-Corns used ta run tha place…." Vanellope said grumpily "She used ta cook a lotta things. They smelled so good an' it wasn't just CANDY things. It was dishes from all over tha arcade. When I was able ta snatch some, she's tha reason I know about any non-candy food at all."

"Really?" Ralph asked "Do go on."

"An' when I got back…..she had this cookbook. She said she was gonna fill it up with recipes from EVERY GAME in tha arcade. New, old, forgotten, traded, ya name it. An' she showed me HOW ta make some of tha things in her book."

"An' how did ya do?"

"I stunk." The girl said "I can't cook, Ralph but C-Butt? I don't know where she gets tha talent from. She…she can just create with food like no one else. But she told me somethin'. Somethin' I'll never forget."

"A-huh?"

"She told me King Candy didn't want her 'messin' with people' 'bout her book." The girl said "I guess back then she didn't get it an' neither would I but I think….I think he held her back from explorin' cuz he didn't want her gettin' smart of what he had done ta tha game….an' her."

Vanellope placed her spoon back in the bowl, feeling soggier than a wet cracker.

"Everyone talks 'bout how I was trapped in tha game, as if everyone else was free or somethin' but….but tha more I think about it, tha more I realize that everyone else had their own prison. They had all their memories kept away just so Turbo could do what he want an' even then, even when they wanted ta do somethin' NEW or found somethin' they liked, he'd tell 'em no or how worthless it was."

 _Like a certain someone else?_

"Didja know that tha Sugar Rush song is sung by Snowanna's mom an' her band?" Vanellope said "We've been around it for YEARS but even Snowanna had no idea that tha voice she heard all these years was her MOM."

Ralph was a little surprised by the fact, wondering why Vanellope had kept this iota of information from him.

"An' with C-Butt's cookin'. I can only imagine all tha times Turbo used ta tell her what she was doin' was stupid, even though it's what she LOVES." Vanellope continued "I…..I don't wanna seem like I'm doin' tha same thing with her. I just don't know how ta go with all'a this."

"But she seemed so welcome ta teach ya before, right?"

The girl nodded "She DID."

"Did?" asked Ralph "Then what happened?"

Vanellope put her soup spoon down, elbows hunching "W-Well….things started out good. She saw that I couldn't cook worth beans but she never held it against me. She just wanted ta see me happy an' have fun with me."

"But what stopped it? Did one of tha other kids tell ya somethin'?"

"N-No…."

" _DO YOU THINK YOU'RE BETTER THAN VANELLOPE?!"_

" _YOU'RE JUST BEING A SNOB! STOP SHOWING OFF!"_

" _IF VANELLOPE CAN'T COOK THIS, OF COURSE IT'S WORTHLESS! JUST LIKE YOU!"_

" _TALENTLESS LITTLE PLACEHOLDER! YOU CAN'T DO ANYTHING RIGHT! VANELLOPE IS THE BEST COOK IN THE GAME!"_

The girl shivered again, her fingers tapping against the counter in nervousness. There had been some 'incidents' that prompted the candleheaded racer to cease her lessons with Vanellope and it wasn't as if she were the only one who lost interested.

Gloyd had stopped showing Vanellope his drawings.

Sakura had stopped showing her fashion collection.

Snowanna no longer wanted to play music in front of her.

Torvald no longer wanted to talk about books.

One after another, the racers had stopped doing the very things they loved while in Vanellope's presence and not because they didn't WANT to share those things with her.

But because they were told they COULDN'T.

"I-I think she got discouraged…." Vanellope lied "It's been so bleh here lately with everyone. But I don't know what ta do an' I hate seein' her an' tha others without anythin' ta have fun with. Food's C-Butt's thing but I don't know how ta get her back on it without comin' off, I don't know, kinda careless 'bout it."

Ralph rolled his eyes and smiled "Not gonna name names but all this cookin' talk? Kinda reminds me of someone else I know."

"Felix?"

"No…." the big man said "You're not gonna believe it but it's actually Ge-!"

"PRESSSSIDENT!"

Vanellope let out a shout as she JUMPED in her seat, the bowl of soup spilling on the counter.

"Ah, dang it."

"There you are….." the snake said in a sickly sweet tone as he slithered up to the others "I wasssss getting WORRIED that sssssomething had happened to you when I found that you were not in your chambersssss."

"Give her some space, Snakey." Ralph said, a little perturbed by what Snake had admitted "I mean, geeze. Tha kid hasn't been out in who knows how long. Let her stretch her legs a bit."

"Oh, I would NEVER, EVER want to impede on Vanellope'ssss recovery." The reptile baddie said as he pulled a seat up for himself at the counter, Ralph feeling far more uncomfortable than he could ever hope to be "I jussssst hope thissss issss what ssssshe needsssss in order to get back on the track and ssssshow everyone who the real ssssstar of thisss game isssss!"

"I'm not the 'real star'….." Vanellope mumbled, looking at the spilled soup on the counter "I….I mean, I'm President, maybe? But there's more than one racer her for anyone to choose."

Snake remembered to pick his words carefully, place-holder far from his mind.

"Perhapssss, perhapssssss. But we wouldn't want thossssse OTHERSSSSS to get lazzzzy now would we?" he chuckled, lightly bumping Ralph on the shoulder.

The big man grimaced, holding back his tongue from saying anything else.

"I am just glad to ssssssee you up and about. I don't know what I or the otherssss would do ssssshould we find out that what happened wasssss sssssomething that could not be fixed."

"She can pull through it." Ralph smiled "I know she can."

"Asssss do we all, Wreck-It. Asssss do we all."

Silence fell on everyone in the kitchen, Snake the only one looking as if he had any energy to share. Ralph and Vanellope felt trapped even if there were but three around, Snake making things far more awkward than needed.

"M-Maybe, if I feel better…." Vanellope said "Next week I'll get out."

"That sounds great." Ralph said "I'm sure everyone will be happy ta see ya."

"Yeah." Vanellope said, remembering the card "Maybe."

"Kid?"

"Sssspeaking of that-." Snake cut in, placing a hand on Ralph's shoulder "I musssst inform you that there ssssseemsssss to be sssssome trouble on the tracksssss?"

"Trouble? What kinda trouble?"

"Jusssst the ussssual." Snake said "Thossssse racersssss are pusssshing a few of usssss back, essssspecially ussssss bad guyssssss."

The Wrecker arched his brow, suspicion going about him but not towards the target he knew Snake had hoped for "Hmmm, is that so?"

"Issss sssssomething wrong?"

"Yeah, there kinda is." Ralph said, crossing his arms against his chest as he looked at Snake "If this has been goin' on, why didn't ya tell me SOONER? I mean, ya know how I handle things like that an' I wudda-!"

"I jussssst didn't want to bother you, that isssss all." Snake said.

Ralph was no fool; Snake was lying about his scales but he was being so cool and sly about it that he knew no matter what he did he wouldn't have an evidence to refute the claims. He had no choice but to go upon Snake's words or at least check for himself.

But that would mean having to go out on the track and he KNEW he couldn't take Vanellope with him.

"Well, perhapssss we should call the PROPER authortiessss?"

"Nah, nah. Lemme take care of it." Ralph growled, waving a hand "Kiddo, let's head back to-"

"Um, just lemme hang here for a sec, okay Ralphie?"

The man was a little surprised by what Vanellope had told him "Ya sure?"

The girl nodded nervously, Ralph once again not at all trusting to Snake's presence in the room.

"Do not worry, Wreck-It. Thingsssss will be jusssst fine."

"I can take care'a myself, Diaper-Baby." The girl said, forcing a smile as she glitched slightly "Just make sure the guys are okay….okay?"

Ralph could hear it in her voice that she was concerned about the others, even if she never wanted to say so in front of Snake. It was just a little hint but it made Ralph feel so much better, the big man lumbering out of the kitchen….

But he had left a mouse alone with a snake in a cage.

Her big robe still clutched around her, Vanellope carefully jumped from the high stools and began to clean up.

"Th-tha soup wasn't even that good." The girl said "I kinda stopped havin' tha cooks do everythin' since it made me feel laz-!"

"Hasssss he told you?"

Vanellope froze in her place, looking back at Snake "H-Has WHO told me HUH?"

Snake looked around, making sure another pixel wasn't present around them. Shutting the door, he slithered back to his own seat, a saddened look on his face.

"Oh, poor poor POOR Ralph." He hissed "I can only guesssss he wasssss doing it to protect you."

"D-Doin' WHAT?"

"I HATE to be the bearer of bad newsssss…." Snake said "But if it musssst be thissss way, then it musssst."

"Snakey, what's goin'-?"

"Have you wondered? Why your friend Calhoun isssssn't here? Why ssssshe hasssssn't called you?"

The notion of Calhoun hit Vanellope quickly, the girl wondering if there were a BIGGER reason as to why she had been MIA for so long, the worst coming to her.

"Oh no…..SHE'S NOT-?!"

"I know what you're going to sssssay…." Snake said, holding out a hand "And thank the programmersssss, it issss not ssssssomething _**THAT**_ terrible!"

Vanellope breathed out, feeling as if she were about to hit the floor "I know I shouldn't think that but when someone goes MISSIN' that long an' no one talks 'bout 'em….."

"It sssstill troublesssss me to tell you…." Snake continued "All becausssse I know you look up to that woman very much."

Vanellope moved closer, wanting to know the truth "Look, I know I may be SICK but-! But I can take tha news! Just lay it on me, Snake!"

"Are you cccccertain?" the creature said "I don't want to upssssset you."

"JUST TELL ME!" the girl shouted, pounding her hands on the counter top….and then feeling the pain a second later " _Ow…"_

Snake drew in a breath and exhaled "The Ssssargent."

"Yes?"

"Ssssshe hasssss been….."

"SNAKE!"

"Sssssshe hasssss been sssssupended….." Snake said, watching as Vanellope nearly GLITCHED through the ceiling.

"SUSPENDED?!" the girl shouted "SUS-PEND-ED?! Why-?! WHAT-?! WHAT HAPPENED?!"

Snake turned away from Vanellope, playing sad as best he could. She growled, moving herself to the countertop as she tugged at the creature's collar.

"C'mon! I need ta know! Not just because I'm PRESIDENT! SHE'S MY FRIEND!"

"That'sssss what I am ssssso worried about."

"Huh?" the girl asked in confusion.

"Jusssst how well do you know thisssss Calhoun? Jusssst how much can you trussst her?"

"How much can I-? I trust her with my LIFE!" said Vanellope "She-! She'd stop at nothin' ta save ME, ta save ANYONE! No matter who they are an'-!"

"Vanellope? President….."

The girl panted, sweat going down her forehead as she looked at Snake, his composure calm.

"It may be one thing to be a hero in your game….." Snake said "But it takessss quite the will to carry thosssssse ssssentimentssss outssssside to othersssss."

"S-Snake you're not making any sense."

"Sssshe was caught harasssssing bad guysssss."

Vanellope went ASHEN as she heard the words "What?"

"Yesssss…." Nodded Snake "You're HERO? Calhoun? Ssssshe wasssss ssssuspended becausssse ssssshe wasssss caught misssstreating bad guyssss around the arcade."

"No. NO!" Vanellope yelled again "No! I don't believe that! She would never hurt a bad guy! At least an INNOCENT one!"

"That isssss EXACTLY what ssssshe wasssss caught doing however." Snake said "Ssssurge hassss the video evidenccccce at hissss officcccce assssss well asssss the tessssstimony of many bad guyssssss sssssshe hurt."

The girl could not believe this, she didn't WANT to believe it. How could Calhoun, a person she trusted with her life, a person she saw as FAMILY, turn on the arcade in such a manner? And if SURGE had evidence about it….

No, no it couldn't be true! Someone had to be pulling a prank on her! A terrible, CRUEL prank.

"No, this doesn't make sense…." The girl said "Ralph is her buddy! He's a bad guy! Why would she even TRY doin' somethin' so stupid when she knows-!"

"Even if sssssshe hangsssss out with Ralph when you're around, do you think that meansssss ssssshe actually TRUSSSSSTSSSSS him?"

"But….but all this time-?"

All thisssss time ssssshe hassss played ussss all….." Snake said "I had a feeling ssssssomething wasssss up after all our run-inssssssss. And the way ssssshe defended thossssse placccce-holderssssss."

Vanellope looked up at the reptile, her brows creasing. She had already warned him from calling the other racers PLACE-HOLDERS for some time but the way he used the term in conjunction with his attitude towards Calhoun.

"N-Now hold on a moment…..you're not tryin' ta say-?"

"Look, Pressssident. I know I am rough, I know I am a bit fiessssty but thisssss isssss how I became after ssssso many yearsssss of being misssstreated becaussssse I am a bad guy. Ralph knowsssss all about it."

"Yeah, but RALPH doesn't an' HASN'T gone all out on everyone who was scared of him." Vanellope said "I know there's a thing as bein' TOUGH but I hate ta admit it, SNAKE. You've taken things too far."

"You really think so?"

"YES!" Vanellope said "Don't-! Don't you think so too?!"

"No, I do not." The reptile said "If thossssse place-holdersssss treated you ssssso rough over all thessssse yearsssss then maybe they DESSSSERVE sssssome-!"

"STOP CALLIN' THEM PLACE-HOLDERS!" Vanellope screamed "I told ya before, why do I hafta tell ya again?! They're not place-holders!"

"But-!"

"NO! THIS ISN'T RIGHT!" the girl shouted again "I KNOW what tha guys did ta me all those years ago! I LIVED IT! I CAN'T UN-FORGET IT! But you're not makin' things any better for ME or THEM!"

"Why SSSSSHOULD I care about THEM?"

"BECAUSE THEY'RE RACERS TOO!" Vanellope roared back "I don't care if ya think they're funny lookin', they're racers like ME an' they don't need all these people rushin' up to 'em! An' when ya SLAMMED Candlehead onto Lumi's kart-!"

Snake's eyes widened as he looked at the girl, control returning to her as she sat on her chair.

"I know I ran….but that's because I HATE blood. Hate it more than anythin' in tha world….But why did ya do that? Why did ya hurt her like that?!"

"Ssssshe…." Snake began, trying to remain calm "Ssssshe got SSSSMART with me."

"So instead of callin' me ta sort things out, ya HURT HER?!"

"Ssssshe sssstumbled and fell hersssself." The creature continued, showing not an once of caring "You know ssssshe was proragmed to be a little dunder-head sssssso it isssss no sssssurprisssse that ssssshe sssshould sssslip on her own feet at the mere gusssst of-"

"BOOTY, SHE DID!" Vanellope glitched again "Candlhead is GOOFY but she's not STUPID. She's not CLUMSY an' she sure as heck didn't just 'fall'! Stop tryin' ta hide it, Snake! Ya went too darn far with her!"

"Alright, alright….maybe I did. But can you blame me?"

"YES."

Snake jolted at the girl's words, feeling as if he had slipped up once more. Vanellope wasn't keen on how Snake or anyone had been acting, the memories of Candlehead's body crashing into the car replaying over and over again in her memories.

"I shudda done somethin' ta help her. I know she may have come off like she was gettin' on ya but she only does that when she thinks someone is REALLY in trouble! Ya didn't hafta HURT her like that!"

"Well….if you feel that way…..I am sssssorry."

Vanellope didn't reply, feeling uncertain about the exchange.

"I…..I jussssst wanted to do the besssst for you, to make everything in thissss game to your liking."

"But I am NOT tha only person in this game, Snake." Vanellope said "There are HUNDREDS of other citizens, racers an' NPCs, who live here an' if I just made tha game run on everythin' I like? It wouldn't be any different than what King Candy did."

"Don't ssssay that." Snake said "You are one HUNDRED timessss the ruler than he'll EVER be."

"I don't feel like it." Vanellope said "I just…..I just feel like I'm not doin' enough. That bein' President or even just bein' a PRINCESS isn't me because I can't lead ANYONE."

The girl slunked down in her seat, feeling awful.

"I couldn't even stop Turbo from gettin' in all those years ago. All I'm seein' now is I'm a junky leader."

"I believe in you…." said Snake "Sssssince the moment I sssssaw you I knew there wasssss sssssomething ssssspecial about you."

Vanellope's skin prickled over in discomfort at Snake's choice of words and tone; memories were coming back and they were not GOOD ones.

"Let usssss forget thisssss whole thing….." smiled Snake as he got up and slithered over to Vanellope "And perhapssss you're right. Someone did frame Calhoun."

Vanellope gave Snake an odd look "I know Calhoun couldn't have done all that stuff people said….but I didn't say ANYTHIN' 'bout someone framin' her…."

"I think the rossssster raccccesssss are over…." Snake chuckled, as if he had not heard a word the girl had said "Myabe we ssssshould see who won?"

* * *

"TAFFYTA MUTTONFUDGE TAKES THE WIN!"

 _ **BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**_!

Another roster race had been completed, the final contestants marking their placements but as the stands were once again filled with outsiders the racers were not met to a welcoming crowd. Taffyta didn't seem to hear the crowds though, taking her first place medal but for the second and third place winners?

 _ **GET OUTTA HERE!**_

 _ **BOOOOOOOO! BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!**_

 _ **PARASITIC PLACEHOLDERS!**_

 _ **BULLIES! NOTHIN' BUT A BUNCH'A BULLIES!**_

The strawberry racers saw Nougetsia lowering her head, Rancis hitting his head on the horn of the steering wheel, the color drained from them both as they wanted nothing more than to escape the onslaught of jeers from the stand.

"C'mon guys!" the strawberry girl said in anger "Don't let 'em get ta ya! Don't let 'em beat us like this!"

 _ **FRAUDS!**_

 _ **TURBO FOLLOWERS!**_

Rancis looked over, seeing the pink girls' face going red. She had heard enough and despite her advice to the others she was having a hard time keeping her own temper down.

" _Ya still won tha race."_ She said to herself " _That's all that matters. That's all that mat-!"_

"AAAAH, STOP!"

The kids looked over, seeing the Zaki trio and their matcha cousin being sounded by a group of 'fans', one of them grabbing Sakura by the bow of her yukata.

"Let go, let go!" she cried out "Unhand me, you jerk face!"

"Hehe, the prissy one wants to play!" said one of the 'spectators', pulling even harder on ribbon. Sakura tried her best to pull back the other was far too strong for her.

"LEAVE MY CUZ ALONE!" Minty roared as she tried to stomp over towards the adversary but she was soon stopped herself, her two sisters shoved back.

"MINTY!"

"HEY, HEY, HEEEEY!" Taffyta shouted as she rushed towards the growing fight, Rancis and Nougetsia following in worry "What tha ho-ho do ya think you're doin'! Leave them alone!"

"Why should we listen ta a widdle pinky punk like YOU?" laughed the large character, reaching for Taffyta but the girl quickly jumped the opposite direction, a sharp SNAP heard under her feet.

"Ya can't treat us like this! Not in our own homes!"

"This is VANELLOPE'S home!" cackled the third rough-houser "Besides, I'm sure she won't mind if we make sure the TRASH is taken care of!"

"W-We're not trash!" Sticky meeped, trying her best to stand up for herself but she and Torvald were once again grabbed, the others gasping in shock.

"STICKY!"

Taffyta was caught off guard, the girl feeling her wrist snapped up tight by a might hand, her feet leaving the ground. She shrieked in horror, legs kicking as hard as she could but the large character smirked at her efforts, the others taking ahold of the rest of the nearby racers.

"No!" shouted Snowanna, the other racers around her looking on in fear as they say the scene unfolding but Rancis turned towards them, panic on his face.

"Run! Don't go near us! RUUUUUN!"

The lot of tiny characters prepared to go off but larger bodies surrounded them, the rowdy crowd leaving the stands and starting to whoop and cheer as they surrounded the racers. Taffyta paled further, realizing that the racers were now trapped with no means of escape.

This couldn't be happening, this couldn't be possible. In their own homes they were now targets, surrounded and unable to escape.

"I'll be taking THESE."

Taffyta looked up in time to see Baston grabbing the three winners' trophies, the girl growling.

" _ **WHAT ARE YA DOIN' WITH THOSE?! WE WON THOSE FAIR AN' SQUARE!"**_

"A race isn't FAIR 'less Vanellope is here ta win it." The man chuckled, stepping as hard as he could on Taffyta's first-place cup to dent it "These things are as worthless as those junkers ya call KARTS."

So much was being committed right before the entire arcade yet no one did anything, the candy racers left to the mercy of those who called themselves 'friends' of Vanellope, their fate unknown but feared.

"OH NO!" Candlehead said as she and Lumi came from around the corner of the garage, seeing the mess "Wh-what do we-?!"

Lumi ran towards the melee, of course not having a clue as to what to do but he just had to do something, he HAD to help!

"You can't do that!" growled Lumi, aiming a hit towards the character who had Taffyta "Put them down or-!"

"An' what do we have here?"

The boy felt a tub on the back of his collar, his scream echoing across the track as Baston had caught him, just one more candy racer to add to the collection. Back at the garage, Candlehead ducked in fear, far too scared to act as she watched her other friends rounded up. She whimpered, falling down on her bottom as she hid, frozen.

" _Someone help, someone help, someone-!"_

" _ **HEY!"**_

SILENCE.

The outsiders turned their heads, a massive figure approaching them.

"What in tha arcade do ya think you're DOIN'?!"

Wreck-it-Ralph?

The one and only.

Ralph glowered at the group but the racers looked far more fearful of the man than the others; when did he arrive on the scene?

"Let us go, let us go!"

The Wrecker looked down, Lumi still struggling in Baston's arms.

"Filthy BRAT, stop movin'!"

"I'M NOT A BRAT!" the boy protested, arms and legs flailing "Now let us go before-!"

"Before WHAT?! What makes ya think some talentless placeholders like you can-!"

"Drop those kids this second or _**YOU'RE ALL GONNA END UP BROKEN INTA BRICKS!"**_

Baston gave a cry as Ralph's voice thundered towards him, the baddie dropping Lumi onto the ground.

"As I asked before, what the heck is goin' on here?!"

"What's it matter ta ya, Wreck-It?" asked one of the others "Vanellope may get ya VIP views here but that doesn't mean EVERYTHIN' here is your business!"

"Considering it looks like you're tryin' ta trash these kids, I think this case makes it alright ta make it my business!" the man shouted back "Why are ya bein' so rough? Tha arcade is tryin' ta rest an' all ya wanna do is fight!"

"Don't pretend ta be clueless, Ralph." Growled Baston "Ya know if ya had tha chance ya throttle tha lil rotters around too!"

"What?! Are ya nuts?! I-!"

" **THIS** one is tha reason Vanellope is sick." Said the baddie, shoving Lumi onto the ground "If it hadn't been for HIM, she wouldn't be messed up in tha castle!"

Lumi was writhing inside with anger, once more subject to being the target of the wild outrage. The others echoed Baston's words, the racers still rounded up within the circle.

"I told ya…." Lumi said, finding his voice "I didn't have anythin' ta do with that!"

"LIAR!" hissed Felia, swiping at Lumi's jacket with her sharp claws, making him scream. Ralph was AMAZED by what he was witnessing, quickly taking a step towards the group.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! There's no need for that!"

"Look at all this mess you've caused!" screeched the feline fatal "An' it's not just YOU! It's all tha rest of you pathetic placeholders!"

"RRRRGH, STOP!" Roared Ralph "Ya guys have CROSSED THA FREAKIN' LINE with this, so-!"

"If it hadn't been for you guys, Turbo would have never come back!" said someone else, shoving the kids into each other hard, making them bump and bruise each other "It was YOUR fault he attacked!"

"STOP!"

"It was YOUR fault Vanellope was glitched!"

"NO IT WASN'T!"

"It was YOUR fault all of this is happen!" said Baston again "If ANYTHING bad happens here, it can all be traced back to you!"

"Stop it, stop it, STOOOOOOOOOOOP IIIIIIIIIIIIT!" shrieked Taffyta "WHY WON'T YOU LEAVE US ALONE?! WE'VE NEVER DONE ANYTHIN' TA YA BUT YA COME HERE AN' TREAT US LIKE WE"RE MONSTERS! LIKE WE'RE-!"

"BULLIES."

Ralph looked up, Baston and Felia heading the group as they looked down at the racers with disdain.

"Look at all of ya…." The male of the lead duo said, huffing "Snake was right."

Snake?

Ralph peered up at his 'fellow baddie' once more, his brows starting to furrow in anger.

"They're nothin' but a bunch'a stinkin' bullies! PROGRAMMED FROM THE START!"

"No we're NOT!" shouted Minty again, holding up her fist as if she were ready to fight "Say that ta my face ugly an-!"

"Don't even WASTE your energy on them, Mintz!" Taffyta said, snapping her fingers with a spark as she turned back towards the lot of jeerers "There's no way we can convince 'em anyway. Considerin' tha kinda company Snake keeps anyway."

"What was that, a lil SKUNK?!" Baston growled, the girl remaining in place.

"Ya guys all talk like you're so good. Like you're a buncha innocent sweethearts." Taffyta hissed as she looked at Baston "Where was YOUR butt back when Turbo lorded over us, Smarty?"

"H-huh?"

"Ya act like ya knew from tha start what was goin' on here, like ya came inta tha game ta see an' check on Vanellope! Ya didn't! Because ya didn't care! Ya don't care 'bout her! Ya don't care 'bout Sugar Rush! All ya care about is pickin' up whatever droppin's Snake leaves behind for ya!"

Ralph was rather surprised to hear the girl say such a thing, especially towards a larger adversary. Baston had shut his lip, astonished that the girl he was certain he had scared into silence had found the will to talk back to him. Taffyta knew she was just ASKING for trouble, her eye twitching but she kept herself steady, not for herself but rather for the other races whom she knew were watching her.

"Yeah. Ain't got nothin' ta say now, do ya?" the girl growled.

"Taffyta…."

The girl squeaked, turning around to see Ralph standing over her but the man was not mad. Much to her shock, he looked WORRIED; worried about HER.

"Break it down, berry-boo." The Wrecker said as he pulled the girl back away from the crowd "M'not gonna let ya get into a fight all because of-"

" _ **GET HER!"**_

Both Ralph and Taffyta moved in that split second, seeing a second wave of the crowd rush in and bombard the racers. All the big man could hear were the sounds of high-pitch wails as even HE was caught, a massive weight falling over him as he was knocked to the ground.

" _ **OOF!"**_

He lay on the ground, face coated in dirt as he watched feet rushing around him, many hands stomping over him in the melee.

"GUYS! OW!"

What was going on? All he could hear were screams and shots, people laughing cruelly as the sounds of breaking candy and ripping fabric was heard.

"Kids?! KIDS!"

The man got up, surrounded by a storm of chaos as the children ran for their lives, older and larger characters rushing after them.

"NO! NO, STOP!"

"I GOT THE MUTT!" cackled Felia as she took the girl by her arm, claws digging into her skin.

" _ **LEMME GO! LEMME GO!"**_

"We're not done with you yet, MUTT!" the female feline hissed as she threw Taffyta into the middle of the crowd, Baston reaching for her hair and YANKING it.

" _ **LET'S SEE IF SHE'S A NATURAL BLOND!"**_

Taffyta cried out in great pain as the larger character near RIPPED her locks from her scalp, Ralph trying to make his way through the crowd.

"Oh my LORD! STOP! STOP!"

"Let go of my HAIR!" Taffyta shouted, Baston shaking her like a rag doll.

"OH! IT IS FAKE!" the man laughed cruelly, bonking the girl over and over upon her skull, each tug more painful than the last upon her scalp "Let's recolor it to its natural shade!"

Ralph tried his best to see, only seeing nothing but Taffyta's pure white hair clenched between the hands of a MONSTER.

"Get offa her, ya creep!" Lumi shouted as he tried to rush the others but he was tripped and held down, he and the other racers caught in the mercy of the gang.

Taffyta wasn't out yet however, the girl going hand and claw on her own as she grabbed Baston by his face and much to his own surprise.

" _ **YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAURGH!"**_

A massive GASH lay across his face where Taffyta had YANKED him as hard as she could, her mind telling her not to let go until she felt him rip in two in her hands.

"Little monster!" Baston cried out "LITTLE FREAK!"

"I am not a FREAK!" Taffyta scrambled to her bottom, trying to find her gloves and hat in the mess "I-I am not a MUTT! I'M NOT A FR-!"

"Look at what she did to my FACE! She's not HUMAN! She's a FREAK!"

"STOP IT!"

" _ **FREAK!"**_

"STOP IT!"

" _ **FREAK, FREAK, FREAK, FREAK!"**_ the crowd cheered as they encircled the girl again, keeping her from escaping " _ **MUTTONFLUB THE FREAK! MUTTONFLUB THE FREAK!"**_

"STOP IT!" the girl shrieked out again, feeling a familiar sense of anger welling within her "If you don't stop this, I will SHOW you what the Muttonfugdes can-!"

And then….

 **SPLAT.**

Taffyta was hit once more by Baston in the back, the wind knocked from her lungs as she tumbled onto the ground as a massive barely of used icing was POURED over her. Ralph and the others stood back in HORROR at what they saw, the others hooping and cheering at their work as the girl lay covered from head to toe in a sick puddle of rancid sugar and muddled colors.

"AHAHAHAHA!" Laughed Baston "Maybe this will dye your stupid hair the right-! _**HRUUURHK!"**_

Famous last words.

Baston felt a vice grip crush his neck, the man looking back for a second to see the dirty and bruised Ralph glaring at him.

Uh-uh.

" _A-AAARCK!"_

Ralph didn't need to say anything to display how angry he was, the man HURLING Baston over his shoulder towards the exist of the game.

" _KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaauuuuuurgh-!"_

Everyone stopped, everyone froze.

They had done it now.

Ralph marched to the middle of the pile, seeing Taffyta still hunched in the puddle of ricing. He could smell the burnt sugar and oil, his mind going back to the moment he had rescued Vanellope when SHE had been the one to lead the bullying.

But even though Taffyta had done such things long ago, he could not stop himself from helping her now. He knew this wasn't right. NONE of it was right but he was so angry, so furious-!

"R-Ralph?" trembled Felia "Y-Ya okay?"

Ralph turned towards the female cat, growling like a lion. She yowled and quickly went back into the crowd, the others ducking as well.

He had to see if she were okay, the little racer trembling in the pile of sludge.

"M-Miss Muttonfudge?" he asked, his voice sounding so small "Kid? Are ya-?"

The racer turned, her eyes wide but hollow. The big Wrecker felt himself jumping back and before he knew what had happened-

A bright flash of pink!

A strong just of wind!

 _ **WA-POW!**_

"OH!"

Everyone looked on in shock, Taffyta still standing in defense below the man with her leg raised. She breathed heavily, the mess of color still dripping on her body but Ralph was knocked clear on his bottom, feeling a POWERFUL punch to the middle of his face.

But he hadn't been PUNCHED.

He had been KICKED.

And by Taffyta Muttonfudge of all characters.

The big man was still surprised, still caught off guard as his nose throbbed, finally able to look down at the angry girl, tears beading in her eyes as she trembled slightly. She growled at the big man, finally resting her body before him but she still held her fist towards her chest in defense, toes up and ready to strike again.

And Ralph.

Ralph said nothing.

"Satisfied NOW?" the girl growled, staring down Ralph, the man still speechless to what had happened "This is what ya wanted ta see happen ta me, _**RIGHT?!**_ "

"She kicked Ralph!"

"She hit him!"

"SHE CAN'T DO THAT!"

" **GET THE BULLY!"**

" **GET THE BRAT!"**

 _ **BRRRRRWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!**_

The loud roar of an engine erupted in the middle of the crowd followed by a massive spray of pink and glitter filled smoke. The crowds cried in shock as they were all covered, the thick cloud of sugary smoke choking them.

"E-Everyone!" coughed Swizz, trying his best to fell around as his eyes sting "SPLIT!"

The crowd was still in a melee of confusion as the smoke cleared, not a single racer to be found.

"RRRRGH! They got away!" growled another character, Felia placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry! Those little morons couldn't have gotten THAT far!" she hissed, showing her sharp claws "We'll get 'em, won't we Ralph?"

Nothing.

"Ralph?"

The big man stood up, covered in dust and sugar but he continued to silence himself. Without another word he stepped past the others and made his way up the rainbow bridge.

"Ralph? Where are ya goin'?"

He didn't know. He just didn't know. Even after he had rode his way back to the station, he was still out, still thinking deep in what Taffyta had done to him.

She kicked him.

She had actually STRUCK him and it wasn't as if the hit registered nothing to him.

He could feel it. He could feel the ANGER and HATRED behind it.

While Ralph left the game, he had no idea that two others had witnessed those moments, or at the least the moments of Taffyta's strike.

"What did I tell you, Presssssident?" Snake said, both he and Vanellope watching the chaos ensure from the tower windows "Thosssse bratsssss jusssst aren't any good."

Vanellope was trembling and glitching with anxiousness; she had witnessed it with her own eyes.

Taffyta had hit Ralph when he was trying to HELP her.

Snake was right.

There was nothing good about her.

* * *

"Ralph?"

He hit her.

"Ralph?"

He had never been hit by a child.

"Ralph!"

She hated him. She hit him because she hated him. She saw him as a bad-!

"RALPH!"

"AURGH!"

The big man looked about, turning his head all corners to see who had called him.

"What who HUH-!?"

"Ralph, calm down! It's US!"

"US?"

The man looked around, surrounded by his Bad Anon buddies. Finally he was with company he wanted, company he could confide in.

Could he?

"Goodness!" said Sorceress "What…what happened to you! You look like a complete DISASTER!"

"I-!" Ralph coughed, tasting the smoke in his mouth "There-!"

The others stared at the man, awaiting his reply. Why did they have to look at him like that? Ever since the fall of Turbo people HAD been looking at him differently and at first, the feeling of praise, the feeling of such celebrity felt good. It was something Ralph had never experienced in his life but now?

Now he was starting to have different feelings about holding such responsibilities. NOW he wanted to go back to being a normal Bad Guy again, not someone that people rushed to for advice and constant answers.

"Things just got a bit outta hand…" he wheezed, lurching down a bit.

"I can see." Said the winged woman "Whatever you ran into, your nose is starting to bleed."

"No, that's probably just icing." The man said, reaching up for his nose "There was a spillage and-!"

 **OW.**

Ralph touched his nose again and found it surprisingly VERY sore. He winced as the pain rippled like a sharp shock from his face to the tip of his feet and when he pulled his large fingers back….

There was blood.

Ralph hadn't gotten that from his encounters with the other Bad Guys in Sugar Rush.

Which could only mean.

No way.

Had Taffyta stuck him THAT hard?


	26. Chapter Twenty Five - Fear

Chapter Twenty Five - Fear

"IS everyone okay?!" Lumi panted as he and the others meet in their club house. Some of the racers were sobbing, still shaken from the bombardment at the track but Lumi couldn't let them linger any longer "C'mon guys! Don't do this ta me!"

"STUFF IT, FISH BOY!" roared Minty, trying her best to comfort her younger sisters "Don't ya even think 'bout tryin' ta get all fancy talk with us! Those guys nearly tore us ta shreds out there!"

"Don't ya think I know that?! I was part of it!" the boy shouted back "I'm just tryin' ta-!"

"Tryin' ta WHAT?! HELP?!" the girl spat back, stepping up to the gummie boy "Alotta help ya've done!"

"Minty, don't crowd him!" shouted Candlehead as she pushed the two away, their anger still felt against each other "This is just what they want us ta do! They want us ta fight each other!"

"I feel like fightin' alright…." The green girl growled, cracking her knuckles "An' maybe it wouldn't be so bad if a few of those baddies had an accident or two here."

"Yo, Mintz. I get that you're angry but we're not turnin' HOMICIDAL here." Said Swizz, the look on his face telling to how serious he was. Minty turned around, fist clenched.

"Does it count as such if it's in SELF-DEFENSE? They've hit me an' my sisters enough times so maybe if they had their jaws clocked about-!"

Suddenly the group started to argue again, screaming filling the clubhouse. Candlehead could only watch helplessly as her friends began to fight each other, backed off near the corner and unable to find the courage to say anything.

"No….NO! PLEASE!"

Lumi watched the girl cower, the look of fear on her face telling to how horrified she felt and how she could not believe things had turned in the game. The boy placed his focus back on the racers; they looked near to tearing each other apart, the endless backlash against them finally making them split.

But he couln't have this. These weren't the racers he knew! He wouldn't let them break down like this, especially not to the-!

 _ **FWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET**_!

The group stopped at the shrill whistle, all turning to Lumi.

"Look at what they got us doin'….." he began, his voice low "Look at what those barnacle heads got us doin' ta each other!"

"L-Lumi?" Candlehead gulped, watching the boy step towards the others.

"We're now goin' against each other when it's THEM who's makin' us all miserable!" the boy said, angered heightened "I'm not gonna let this happen! I'm not gonna let those Bad Guys split us like that!"

"But they have all the power!" Snowanna said "Even if we try ta say anythin', they'll always get tha arcade ta listen ta 'em!"

"Then we gotta find a way ta exposes those losers for what they really are." Lumi growled "Tha REAL Bad Guys that they are."

"How though?" asked Rancis "They're watching every move we make. Hiding everywhere."

"These guys THINK they got tha grand tour thanks to Smell-nel-opee but they ain't taught on how Sugar Rush REALLY is." The boy said "We're still tha masters of this place, we still hold ta keys!"

"Yeah, right. A few days ago we were still uncoverin' things we can't even remember." Said Gloyd "How can we be masters of anythin' when-?"

"We still have tha power ta change this landscape, ta bring it back to how it was SUPPOSED ta be." Lumi said "I know some of ya still don't buy me but there is still so much hidden beneath this crust. Things that I'm sure VANELLOPE doesn't want us ta uncover."

The group jolted at the boy's statement, just how HARSH he had said the President's name scaring them. Candlehead once more tried her best to defend the ailing racer, stepping between Lumi and the others.

"Lumi. I-!"

"Stop tryin' ta defend that lil glitchin' crust, Candlehead! SHE AIN'T NO GOOD!"

"Why are ya bein' so mean ta Vanellope!?" the cake-themed girl shouted Out "I-! We-! Ya HAFTA give her a chance! I know she doesn't hate us! She-!"

" _ **SHE WAS PROGRAMMED TA HATE US!"**_ Lumi shouted "That was her whole role in this stupid game!"

A pin could have been dropped in the club house, the racers looking at Lumi with eyes so wide.

"W-What?"

The boy held nothing back, ripping his hat off and tossing it on the ground.

"Ya guys wanna know WHY I don't trust Princess GLITCH!? Why I never have?!"

The others exchanged looks; now they were not so certain if they wanted to hear their 'stories' anymore, especially with how angry Lumi was becoming but the boy wasn't going to wait for anyone's approval, not anymore. Ever since he had been brought back online that's all he HAD been doing; waiting for the approval of people who clearly didn't like him, who clearly didn't trust him and clearly had a grudge against him based on his choice of siding with the racers rather than Vanellope and Ralph.

Lumi had had enough, the boy sick of being treated in such a manner in a game he had once thought was going to be his HOME but had quickly turned into a never-ending NIGHTMARE.

He was going to let things drop now.

"Sugar Rush…..wasn't a SWEET kingdom." The boy began "We had our SWEET things but the Princess? She wasn't sweet, she wasn't nice…. _ **SHE WAS A BITTER LITTLE BRAT!"**_

"Vanellope?" asked Adorabeezle "Mean? Bitter? I don't rememb-!"

"OF COURSE YOU DON'T!" Lumi said "I bet you don't because Vanellope doesn't want you do! She doesn't want any of us rememberin' our history so she can ALWAYS rule over us!"

"H-Hold on a sec…" said Swizz "I can believe Turbo wantin' ta do that. We LIVED that! But Vanellope? Why-?!"

"Don't ya find it kinda funny…." The boy began "How Vanellope has treated all ya guys tha moment your areas have appeared?"

Again, silence.

"Don't ya think a REAL President, or at least someone who CARED ABOUT YA GUYS, would wanna know more? Would ask ya more an' how ya feel ta have your homes returned ta ya?"

Suddenly, Lumi's accusations were starting to have a bit more weight to them. For the racers who had regained parts of their memories and their homes they did indeed remember how Vanellope reacted to the discoveries. She seemed so held back, so scared and worried. She never ventured with the groups to look and explore, hanging back with Snake and the others.

And Vanellope often obnoxiously _**PRIDED**_ herself on being brave, on being more 'experimental' than the others but when it came time for her to actually show off those traits it was the other racers who jumped guns out and ready while she remained on the sidelines, as if she were too scared of what she would find.

Or what THEY would find.

Sparks started to go up the spines of the racers as they slowly realized that something was amiss and not just with the game but with Vanellope. She was hiding something from THEM and she was hiding it because she was scared of what could happen should they find out.

"Our programmers put us in this game for a reason." Lumi said "They wrote our stories and gave us families for a REASON. We are not here to just give Vanellope some competition. This game is called SUGAR RUSH! It is named after our HOME. OUR HOME! It is not called VANELLOPE RUSH or VANELLOPE RACING TOUR or anythin' else! She may be this game's stupid princess but she's just ONE! Just ONE RACER that anyone can choose an' that stupid GLITCH of her doesn't make her any special! It just makes her the biggest cheat in tha game!"

"Lumi…..I'm not sure how ta take this." Said Swizzle "I mean…..everythin' ya mentioned so far has been linin' up but…..but I don't know if I can take tha idea of ANOTHER PERSON tryin' ta pull tha wool over our eyes, let alone Vanellope!"

"Sometimes a bad guy is a bad guy." The gummie boy said, staying solid on his thoughts "An' Ralph is a BAD GUY. His stupid buddies are BAD GUYS an' Vanellope is a BAD GUY!"

There was much discomfort shared between all as Lumi spat out those words, not at all caring to who it hurt.

"Ya don't know what happened…." Candlehead tried once more to defend the others "Tha way they were treated-"

"WHO THA BLIP CARES!?" Lumi roared, FURIOUS "It's no excuse for what they've been doin' ta us! It's no excuse ta how they framed Solider Lady! THEY'RE BAD GUYS AND THAT'S ALL THEY'RE EVER GONNA BE!"

The boy felt EXHAUSTED, a heavy weight coming off his shoulders once he said those words….but then he weakened, realizing that even in all his anger it wasn't going to bring the one thing he wanted back.

PROOF

Proof that HE was supposed to even be there.

The others slowly moved closer to the boy, nervous at what to do but the boy stood on his own, his head hung low.

"Lumi?"

"That's what I know…." He said "That's what I know but…but….but maybe ya don't hafta believe me. I just know I don't like this anymore. I don't like how this game works. I don't like how people are treatin' ya. I don't like how Vanellope can get away with EVERYTHIN' simply because she's a glitch an' we're supposed ta feel sorry for her."

"An' ya DON'T?" Minty said, a brow raised.

"NO." the boy said, very harsh indeed "I DON'T because even with what Turbo did ta her, she KNOWS she has tha power ta stop all'a this but she won't! Each time ya guys have been bullied, she's just stood around an' LET it happen! If she an' that stinky guy really meant anythin' 'bout stoppin' bullyin' that wudda stopped when they jumped Taffyta! Or when Swizz was attacked! Or any other time ya guys have been hurt by these jerks but they haven't! So NO! I don't feel sorry for Vanellope! I don't feel sorry for her because she's a BULLY for allowin' this ta happen!"

"I….I don't wanna believe this." Said Candlehead, shaking her head "I don't wanna believe Vanellope is bad. We spent all that time under Turbo believin' that but-! But is she-?!"

"Sometimes….people are just bad, no matter what happens ta 'em." Said Lumi "Even if Turbo glitched her, Vanellope hasn't changed ONE IOTA. From story ta now, she's still tha awful Princess she's always been."

"Just…just how bad was she?" asked Nougetsia "From the way you keep jumping about, did….."

The girl stopped, a serious look coming about her face.

"Pastilli. Did Vanellope, in our stories…..Did she HURT you?"

The boy bunched up, his shoulders hunching over. Suddenly he was the one to turn now.

" _I….."_

The room felt cold, the lights dimming as the boy felt the others surrounding him. It was if he were getting smaller, the eyes of the other racers gazing down upon him and waiting to speak up.

"What did she do to you?"

Those words ECHOED around the boy, his eyes seeing the clubhouse STRETCH out around, the others slowly fading from sight. They kept asking the same question, throwing around the same words but the voices that came out…

 _What did she do?_

So familiar.

 _What did she do?_

But things were too dark.

 _WHAT DID SHE DO?!_

 _WHAT DID SHE DO, PASTILLI?! WHAT DID SHE DO TO ROLY?!_

" **DAD!"**

" _ **TAFFYTA**_ **!"**

Lumi opened his eyes, everything back to normal but Candlehead was going about the clubhouse in a panic.

"Candles, what-?"

"How did we miss her?" the girl said "HOW DID WE MISS HER?!"

"Who?!"

"TAFFYTA!" Candlehead said "She's-! She's not here! She's gone!"

"WHAT?!" said Rancis, now becoming just as worried as his friends "We didn't leave her back at the track did we?!"

"I thought she followed us!"

"I could have sworn I saw her!"

Lumi looked over and noticed Candlehead looking at her hands, the girl shaking.

"C-Butt?"

"I had her hands…." The girl said "I felt her hands but then-! Then she slipped! I thought she was behind me! I felt her behind me! She-! SHE'S GONE!"

"She can't be gone!"

"But she-!"

"No, if she was behind us-!" said Lumi, looking around and trying to remain steady for the panicking girl "She still has to be around here! She has to be somewhere in this area!"

* * *

"Leave me alone, leave me alone, LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Indeed Taffyta was still within the game but as she had become separated from the group, she had lost her way. She did not stop running though, her legs carrying her further and further into the game even after they burned with pain and her chest heaved for air. She was exhausted but she knew she could not stop running. She had to escape, to get away from everyone.

She no longer felt like Sugar Rush was her home, she no longer felt that LITWAK'S was her home. Even as she was covered in icing, even as she was covered in dirt and grime she kept running. The forest around her became twisted and dark, the wilderness of Sugar Rush becoming bitter. She did not care, as long as she could escape, as long as she could keep going.

" _ **AAAH!"**_

The girl let out a scream as she tripped on a root, falling down on her chest. Finally the exhaustion caught up with her, the young racer feeling the energy quickly disappearing from her. She moaned, body aching everywhere but what she could feel the strongest was her foot.

The foot she had used to STRIKE Ralph. Her mind was stull trying to figure out what had happened but she could feel the resounding impact. It did not hurt but it was a sensation that stuck with her, most importantly because she had actually lashed out on the arcades most lauded heroes. And she had seen the way people were ready to attack her, to string her up for her actions.

That's why she had run. That's why she wanted to get as far away as she could.

She knew she was now a wanted criminal in the minds of the arcade, a villain in their eyes for her actions against Ralph. She only wondered if she would be able to show her face in the main portion of the game ever again but as she sat up…

"Hello?"

She realized just how far from home she was.

The strawberry race rose on her feet, looking around at the unfamiliar landscape. She didn't remember any of these paths, any of these trees. Had this been another landscape changed by the reformatting game, something that Turbo had once altered to keep the others in his clutches? It had to have been, no part of the map coming to Taffyta. It was eerily quiet, the air warm but wet and thick. She trembled as she moved forward but the further she went the more she began to loosen up, the more she began to wander into the darkness.

And then she saw it.

Broken signs, broken caravans and strung up lights. She walked further, hearing the buzz of the electricity as the lights seemed to flicker on.

Was this a dream?

What was happening?

Taffyta did not know but the rotted carts and train cars seemed to reform around her. They lay sunk in the muck and mire but their wooden bodies groaned as they rose, the flaking paint returning to its former brought luster.

A circus?

Why was Taffyta at a circus?

The dampness in the air disappeared, the sound of candy people laughing around her began.

 _Are you sure this is alright?_

Huh?

Who said that?

That voice; so soft, so gentle. Taffyta remembered hearing that voice before….but from where?

"Wh-who-?"

 _I've tried to hide so many things in my life, dear._

The deep tones of a male voice hit Taffyta on her left. The accent, the way it was carried, and just how RUMBLING the voice was against the crowd; Taffyta could remember it partially. She could remember…

"W-who's there?!" she cried out "WHO'S-?!"

Suddenly she felt her hands grasped tightly, one smaller hand, one massive.

 _Dear, if this is not-_

 _Taffyta wanted to enjoy herself. I cannot stop her from doing so._

 _But remember how Candicus-!_

 _He does not rule me. He does not rule my daughter!_

Daughte _r?_

"….Daddy?"

The girl looked around, pulling her arms back to her chest but she could still feel them, the presence of the others.

"What's happening?! WHAT'S GOING ON?!"

Her surroundings began to fade, to whirl, the lights and sounds osf laughter fading before she was pulled back to-!

 _ **TAFFYTA!**_

She gasped, turning around to see the group of racers rushing towards her, Rancis leading the pack with a flashlight in hand.

"Taffyta!" he cried, smiling once he was able to see her "Oh! Oh thank goodness you're alright, luv!"

"SHE'S OKAY!"

The strawberry racer panted, clutching herself as she was too scared to turn towards the others but Candlehead gunned towards her, scooping the girl in a tight hug.

"We thought ya were lost!" the other girl wept, crying hard on the pink girl's shoulder "I-! I thought I lost ya an' they had-!"

"Let her breathe, Candles." Rancis said, gently pulling the distraught racer off her friend "Come on, Taffy. We need to get you home. To get you cleaned up."

"What is happening?" the girl said, turning away "What is happening to our home?"

Rancis took a step forward, having a difficult time hearing the girl "What do you-?"

Lumi pressed his hands upon Rancis' chest, stopping him from moving any further "Look."

The others focused their sights forwards, seeing the remains of the circus caravan that surrounded Taffyta.

"Where did THIS come from?" asked an astonished Minty "This-! There's no circus in Sugar Rush!"

Lumi on the other hand looked terrified, the boy creeping back into the group.

"Yo, Gumby?"

" _S-s-so they did put it into tha game!"_

"Lumi, what's goin' on?" asked Candlehead.

The boy said nothing, looking back at Taffyta as she cowered on the ground, huddled in front of the massive piles of junks.

Lumi had the map within his head….but this was something he never thought he'd see even in his WILDEST dreams.


	27. Chapter Twenty Six- Choices

Chapter Twenty Six- Choices

"Hold still…."

" _Ow."_

Ralph winced as Sorceress dabbed the man's injured nose with cotton and peroxide, the other Bad Anons surrounding their friend.

"Tell me again…" the floating woman said, making certain that Ralph had been patched up "WHO did this to you?"

By now the big man wasn't even sure he was certain of what had happened, his mind still in a jumble to it all. All he could remember was going in to help the racers on the track, icing going everywhere and then-

 **WHAP**.

Taffyta had STRUCK him and struck him hard enough to make him BLEED.

Even CALHOUN hadn't managed to do that when she punched him so he could only IMAGINE what type of power the girl had unleased upon him.

"RALPH!"

"GAH! What?!"

The other Anons took a step away from their college, Sorceress motioning them to go back to their seats.

"Guess you had quite the night, huh Red?"

Ralph rubbed his head, eyes blinking; it was just so much.

"You said something about ICING?"

The big man turned, looking caught as he felt the other eyes going into him.

"OH!"

"Ralph?"

"OH! OH SHOOT!"

"Man, calm down."

"I-!"

Ralph stood up, nearly hitting his head on the ceiling, his feet bouncing restlessly on the floor.

"I-! Vanellope-! The kids-!"

"Ralph, take a breath and sit back down." Said Clyde "Tell us; what happened?"

"There-! There was a fight!" the big man began, everything crashing down at once "Taffyta! The kids-!"

"The kids were in a fight?"

"Yes! NOOO! I mean-!"

"Wreck-It." Said Zangief, putting a hand on the man's shoulders "Inhale, exhale. Let mind come to ease, then tell us story."

As he was instructed, Ralph did just that, his heart slowing down, his mind settling.

" _Aaaaaaaw,_ **MAN** _."_

"Okay, please go on. And this time with your hands behind the wheel."

Ralph was now feeling embarrassed, remembering just how caught he was in letting a CHILD give him a bloody nose but….

"I….I think I wrecked some things."

"With who?"

"Tha kids…." Ralph began "There….there was an incident at the track."

"Did they cause it?"

"NO!" the man blurted out, putting a hand on his forehead "I mean…I mean I don't THINK they did but-!"

Now the man had come to a crossroad, his past comments towards the racers starting to fly back something horrible towards his face. He remembered EXACTLY what he had said about them, what he had called them towards both his friends and his peers and yet….

And yet despite all those nasty things he had said, he was the first one to jump in the line of danger when they were being harmed.

"Guys?"

The other Anons waited, Ralph's words dangling before them.

"How….how far is too far?"

"Excuse me?"

"How far is too far for a bad guy?" the man began, the wall starting to come down "I know what I said before. That I wanted things to be better for bad guys, for us….but….."

"Ralph, just say it."

"When is a Bad Guy really a BAD GUY?" the man coughed, shaking his head as he was disappointed in himself "When is the moment when I step in and say 'stop'?"

"You're not making any sense, Ralph." Said the little frog girl "First ya go on about a fight and then-?"

"Those kids were attacked today." Ralph went on, his mouth moving before his brain "The other racers? They were attacked and they were attacked right before my eyes!"

"Goodness, that's horrible!" said Sorceress, the other Anons murmuring amongst themselves in agreement.

"Wait….you think so too?" Ralph asked, a brow arched.

"Well….YES." the woman said "Why would someone go into Sugar Rush to attack ANYONE, let alone the kids?"

"Ya mean ta tell me….that ya think it would be wrong if someone were ta attack 'em?"

"Yeeees? Why would you think otherwise?"

NOW Ralph had really clammed up, feeling great amounts of GUILT piling on. Though he kept to himself about it before he had always assumed that his fellow Anons would agree with him on the activity that had been going on in the game towards the other racers, that any sort of reaction towards them were warranted and justified for what they had done to Vanellope.

But as he was listening in….

"Who attacked those kids?" asked Sorceress, sounding rather mad "Did they go after Vanellope too?"

"N-No…." Ralph said, losing strength "They….they did it _**FOR**_ Vanellope."

There was a confused silence shared amongst the Anons, the others not sure they had heard Ralph correctly.

"Excuse me….someone ATTACKED the other racers BECAUSE of Vanellope?"

"Yes." Ralph nodded "That's….that's what's been going on."

Clyde gave Ralph a concerned look, the ghost floating over to the man "Ralph….I think it'd be best if you told us from the top. What's been going on?"

Still racked with guilt the man pushed forward, knowing that to keep the truth from his fellow Anons would not make anything that happened go away.

"Look, I really don't know when this started or….or who started it originally but….but we've had some other bad guys coming into Sugar Rush an'….an' roughin' up tha racers."

"That's AWFUL!" said the frog girl "Why…why in tha arcade would that do that?"

"Because….because of me….me an' Vanellope."

"Wait, ya TOLD 'em ta do it?"

"NO!" Ralph shouted, looking caught "NO! I didn't tell anyone ta do ANYTHIN' ta those kids! An' neither did Vanellope so don't go blamin' her for-!"

"Ralph, we're not." Said Sorceress "But we need to know since this concerns Baddie activity. What's been going on in the game and why has it just been Bad Guys?"

"I-It's not JUST Bad guys if that makes ya feel any better…." The big man continued "It's some top players as well. Ya know, heroes an' stuff but tha majority of 'em? They seem ta be Baddies an' they came in through ME."

"Are they anyone else from our Anon meetings?" asked Clyde.

"No, thankfully." Ralph sighed "I don't think I've seen any of 'em here before but…."

Ralph was feeling worse and worse, seeing just how much Snake and his gang had not only HURT the racers but how his behavior was starting to REFLECT on the other Anons as well, the other Anons who had gone through hell to EARN their respect after so many years of fear.

"I….I don't know what ta think anymore…." Ralph began "I….I know this sounds stupid on my part but….but…."

Say it Ralph, say it.

"I….I never considered it." The man went on "I….I never really considered tha consequences ta all'a this or that maybe…maybe not all bad guys are GOOD guys."

Ralph buried his face in his hands, jolting back once he felt the sting of his injured nose.

"Maybe it was just FOOLISHNESS on my part but….but I assumed all Bad Guys wanted ta be like us. All'a us in here." The man went on "An' when I came back from outin' Turbo, that's what I felt. That's what I saw an' it was so great seein' all these bad guys get their day an' love so…."

More silence, more guilt.

"I didn't see it. I was so busy tryin' ta make Vanellope happy, I was so busy tryin' ta make THEM happy an' I was so busy bein' concerned with those kids….I never saw that they were HURTIN' 'em!"

Now ANGER was coming into play, Ralph curling his massive fingers into FIST.

"I told ya what those kids did ta Vanellope, how they pushed her in tha mud but…..but can ya imagine? US doin' tha same thing ta them?"

"What do you mean?"

"They surrounded them…." Ralph went on, his hands acting for him "All these bad guys, some I don't even KNOW! They SWARMED tha tracks, they rounded tha kids up, took their trophies and TRASHED them!"

The other Anons moved closer as Ralph told his tale, their expressions saying much more than words ever could.

"They were kicking 'em, PUNCHIN' 'em! They were throwin' 'em around like sacks an' they did it because they thought it was okay! They thought that BULLYIN' those kids were okay because they were BAD GUYS! An' they were with ME!"

"You?"

"YES, ME!" Ralph roared "EVERY TIME! EVERY TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED! They always said they were doin' it for me! For Vanellope!"

"So this wasn't the first incident?"

"NO! But-! But I've NEVER seen it so ugly before! I never saw ANYTHIN' like this!"

Ralph turned towards Sorceress, pointing towards his nose.

"Ya wanna know WHY I got this? Cuz that Muttonfudge kid. They were yankin' and pullin' her like a stuck pig! RIPPIN' her hair out right from the scalp! They didn't care! They just wanted to THROTTLE her an' I WATCHED as they did it! I WATCHED as they WRECKED some kid! A buncha grown BAD GUYS rippin' a kid apart!"

"How….HOW could someone do that?!"

"Because they said it was for ME!" Ralph bellowed again "She tried ta fight back! She fought back took an' nail but they threw her on the ground and-!"

Ralph stopped, breathing hard once he realized how riled up he had made himself.

This did not feel good, not in the slightest but at least he was saying it. At least he was finally getting it out.

"They threw old icing on her. Called her mutt and FREAK. They did that…because they thought it would make ME happy. Because they thought it would make Vanellope happy."

Ralph stumbled back, finally realizing what he had said. He nearly missed his seat, his back landing HARD upon the wall.

" _They….they're bullyin' kids for me….they're bullyin' kids….for ME"_

"That was DISGUSTING."

Everyone turned towards Sorceress, her features becoming sharper and more frightening the ANGRIER she became.

" _ **WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WOULD DO SUCH A THING TO A CHILD?!"**_ the woman roared, wind picking up behind her "I am aware of what those children did to Miss Vanellope, everyone is but are they not aware of the factors that lead them to it?! _**WHAT KING CANDY DID TO THEM TO EVEN PUT IT IN THEIR MINDS THAT WHAT THEY WERE DOING WAS ALRIGHT?!"**_

"Ma'am, calm down." Said Scorpion but a nerve had been struck with Sorceress.

She was very much upset with Vanellope's story of course but of all the Anons around, it had been known that her views on the other racers were a little more lenient. Upon learning of what Turbo had done, her views on the situation had shifted, her quote being;

" _The bullying was wrong but to be robbed of your own mind in order to fulfill the twisted goals of a madman. I wouldn't wish that upon anyone. No one deserves that. Let them have their lives back since he never let them have one outside of what he wanted."_

Ralph didn't realize just how much it had bothered her and as he was witnessing...

"So these….ahem, LOT excused their behavior on their roles and acted as if you had approved on it?"

"M-Ma'am…." Ralph said, sounding run-down once more "It's….it's not as if I am innocent in the whole matter."

"Oh?"

"Y-Yeah…" the Wrecker gulped "I didn't say nothin' bout it before but….Calhoun? before she was suspended, she mentioned somethin'. Somethin' 'bout three of tha kids. I think tha sisters? Tha triplets? She said someone had ATTACKED 'em an' maybe it was tha same goons who did it at tha track. But I didn't believe her. I assumed that if anyone attacked those kids, THEY brought it on themselves an' they DESERVED ta be pushed an-!"

The man let out a frustrated growl, slamming his fist on the ground.

" _ **I'M NO BETTER! I ACTUALLY SAID THE KIDS DESERVED EVERY BIT OF HATE AND PAIN THEY GOT FOR WHAT THEY DID TO VANELLOPE! I SAID THEY WERE THE CAUSE OF EVERY BIT OF GRIEF HERE! I SAID-!"**_

The man panted again, sweat poring form his face.

"I even suggested they let Turbo in….that they let him in because they were jealous of Vanellope."

"Ralph, no one knows that happened."

"I know….but….but that's how I saw 'em. That's how I viewed 'em but…..but maybe….maybe that's because….because…."

"Yeah?"

"Maybe….because I didn't wanna believe it. I didn't wanna believe that anyone aside from us could….could be INNOCENT. Could be….could be HURT."

Ralph was now starting to feel VERY shameful of himself, looking back and realizing that he had wished so much upon CHILDREN and underestimating those around him abusing his power and status just to do so.

"Ya guys have been hearin' bout what's been goin' on in tha game. How things are still bein' unlocked an' found. I….I didn't wanna believe it. I didn't wanna believe that those kids could have anythin', that they were anythin' beyond bullies but as more and more came up….I was startin' ta see I was wrong."

"Ralph, it's understandable. You were just trying to protect Vanellope."

"Was I?" the big man asked "I want her to be safe, I want her ta have fun….but I was steppin' on everyone else an' ignorin' tha problem that was right in front of my face an' it wasn't those kids. It was EVERYONE else who followed me in."

The big man lowered his head, feeling so isolated and lonely once more.

"This is why they see me as a monster." He continued "It's because I let tha monsters into their home ta hurt 'em. That's why Taffyta KICKED me. I wanted ta help her, I tried ta but when everyone was laughing at her, when they were hurtin' her…..all she saw was them laughing because I TOLD them to. An' she finally just showed me how she REALLY felt."

"Does anyone else know what's going on?" Clyde asked "Ralph, this is VERY serious and VERY dangerous if it is true."

"Calhoun and Felix were the ones who warned is beforehand." The man went on "HE was tha one who told ya the trouble that would come. Calhoun was tryin' her damndest ta get tha kids somewhere safe but-!"

SNAKE?

SNAKE.

Ralph's skin started to prickle, his mouth going dry.

Could he do it? Could he really confess to Snake's doing when even he wasn't sure if he led the whole thing himself. Yes, Snake had been rough and been nasty towards the kids before but the worst of had come at the hands of someone else.

"Who attacked the Muttonfudge kid?" asked Sorceress.

"Ya promise ya won't go after them?"

"I won't." the woman said "But someone needs to be informed because they could hurt someone else! Anyone else! If they're capable of doin' that to children, imagine what they could do to someone else."

"Alright." The man said "I….I think his name was BASTON or some-!"

The room went dark.

The room went COLD.

Everyone frozen in place as Sorceress was once more struck with anger, with fury.

" _ **BASTOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON**_?"

 **WITH HATE.**

"Um….ya know him?"

The demon woman let out an unearthly growl, claws forming as her eyes glowed red.

"OKAY, BYE." Zangief said, calmly walking out of the meeting room.

"I know of that naaaaaaaaaaaaame…." The woman hissed evilly "You did not tell me HEEEEEE was involved."

Ralph backed further against the wall, feeling as if him impending doom were close at hand "Sooooooooorc?"

"I have told this group of his actions long before you joined…." The woman growled, settling back down into her seat "And he is of one body that perpetuates the stigma we are all burdened to carry with us NOW."

"That…that sounds pretty bad."

"PRETTY." The woman said with a huff "There is nothing PRETTY about that dark souled, HATEFUL man."

"Wh-what did he do?"

"Even as I sit here before you, sharing my old problems, he was the causes of much grief to others in my game." The woman went on "You know of my hero, the Demon Hunter? When we arrived her many years ago, BASTON was the source of many problems for our Cherub damsels."

"Was it that bad?"

"BAAAAAAAAAAD?" the woman bellowed out again, levitating from her seat before settling back down again "The man would waste no time in trying to round up and hurt our Cherubs to the point where our Hero had to come out frequently to rescue them in the station."

Ralph gulped; this was hitting closer to home than he wished.

"My Hero got so fed up with the man that he eventually had him BANNED from our game entirely but he did not stop! He would continue to hound and go after us."

"US?"

"Yes, myself included." The woman said, brows furrowed "In the past, that….MAN if you want to call him that given his COWARDICE, tried to entice me to join him on several outings to BULLY other characters? Why? Because we were 'BAD' and that's what a 'GOOD BAD GUY' does."

"An' even his home game didn't do anythin' ta stop this?!"

"Either they could not contain him or they did not care." The woman went on "Either way, when he refused, he went on HARDER after my game-mates and more than that-."

"Yes?"

The woman growled again, looking more and more ferocious and then…

And then….

"Sorceress?"

"He lied…." The woman said, her voice sounding broken "He lied about ME."

"What?"

"If you every needed to wonder why a Bad Guy of MY caliber would even be here…." The woman began "There is a reason why. My game? My hero, my NPCs? They did give me support, they don't hate me but….but it wasn't enough to undo the damage that he did. He lied about me, saying that I would hurt others just like him and thanks in part to his powers, to his actions before, those he had already wrangled up were TERRIFIED. They were terrified of him….they were terrified of me. And no matter what I did, no matter how many times I tried to show people that I wasn't like him that I wasn't a bad guy…."

The woman clutched her skirt, biting her lips.

"I had never felt so weak until then…." The woman said "Even with my hero, I….I couldn't recover from it. Because I wasn't able to fix it, I wasn't able to undo the damage he had done. Before then, I had always prided myself in being able to take care of myself, in being able to hold my head up high even with people who were scared of me….but when that man….when that man robbed me of that, he took away EVERYTHING. My pride, my strength…I started to believe that because I didn't do enough, that because I wasn't with him….I was bad…and I would always be bad."

Suddenly Ralph's prior actions of throwing Baston felt less painful, the man beside himself in rage.

"Sorceress…." Said Clyde "Why…why didn't you tell us this?! Why didn't you-?"

"Because he succeeded in making me doubt myself as well as the idea of reporting a fellow bad guy." The woman continued "We already get a bad enough rap as it is but if I were to turn in a bad guy who was actually doing HORRIBLE things? He would find a way to spin it, everyone else would too and a whole new set of problems would begin."

"I…."

Everyone looked at Ralph, the man kneeling towards the woman.

"I understand it….all too well."

"I think this is something that needs to be said." Clyde frowned, floating back in his chair "Everyone. While we have been here to discuss the troubles that unwarranted hatred has brought upon us, we cannot ignore for a second the crimes that other bad guys do, both to US and other citizens."

Ralph felt more like a child listening to stories of yore, the big man on the edge of his seat as the small orange ghost gave his speech.

"We are here to help but not just ourselves. We are here to recover and build bridges, not tear them down. We did not form this group as a means of discussing how to get revenge or how to turn our anger into weapons. That is not what Bad Anon is for." The ghost said, his voice deadly serious "People like Baston undo any progress we have made, hurt our friends and our allies. We cannot let things like this happen or excuse behavior like this just because they happen to be bad guys."

"Then what do ya WANT us ta do?" asked the Frog girl "They'll make it out we're ratting them out."

"There is such a thing as loyalty but there is also such a thing as extortion and we cannot let that happen to us or anyone." The ghost said, a few nodding in agreement "If any of you see people, no matter their roles, mistreating others do not hesitate to help and inform someone, ANYONE. This is how we get situations like Ralph has told or things like what has happened to Calhoun. These were NOT accidents. These were set ups and people like Baston are using US as a means to carry out their own HATE."

A few of the members in the meeting room cheered in agreement, Ralph just looking to the side in worry.

"Ralph, I am glad that you have informed me of what has been going on." The ghost said "But what makes me prouder…."

"Yeah?"

"Is that despite what she had done to Vanellope, despite what you had thought of her PREVIOUSLY….you actually went in to help Taffyta."

Ralph's eyes lit up, the ghost's words lifting him up a tad.

"We are aware of what she and the others took part in and we do not condone it but as we have asked the arcade to see us for more than bad guys, we must stick to our words and give the same to everyone else as well. You looked past her bullying and tried to help."

"TRIED, Clyde. TRIED." The man said, pointing to his nose "TRIED is the key word here an'….OUCH."

"That is clear." The ghost nodded "She struck out in anger after being hurt. Go back."

"Ya want me to go back?"

"Yes. Go back and see what else is going on. I not only worry about the safety of those kids but Vanellope as well." Clyde continued "It doesn't sound like her to allow such things to happen and I am afraid that if this were the case, someone else is encouraging her."

"I…I can't act like I'm not part of it." The Wrecker said "I sorta helped in on it. I didn't tell her ta take a minuet to think some things through since I jumped on tha hate train as well."

"You can still make it right." Clyde said "Don't stop when these kids need a hero and you're right there for them."

"Me….a hero for the kids?"

"YES. They NEED you now Ralph. More than ever and not just as a hero. But someone to remind them that there is someone that cares."

Ralph's eyes widened, feeling a large cause of déjà vu coming over him.

"Those kids don't have anyone else, Ralph. They don't have parents, they don't have families….but I know you want to help them. You want to help them all. Don't let people like Baston keep you back on it."

The big man realized what he had to do, Clyde's words hitting him right where it meant.

"Yeah." The big man said as he stood up "Even if Turbo is gone….I'm not done takin' care of tha mess he left behind!"

* * *

"She hasn't said anything…." Candlehead said in worry, peeking through the crack in the door to see Taffyta at her mirror, fresh pjs and her hair free of the sticky icing "I'm worried."

"Maybe it's best that we leave her be, Candles." Lumi said, pulling the girl back as the two went to the living room of the small cottage "Right now….we had a lotta stuff ta go through."

"This is bad." The other girl meeped, holding her head in her hands "Things have never gotten this bad before! Never ever, ever, ever!"

"It's all Vanellope's fault!" the boy growled, his fist lay atop his knees "Had she actually done somethin'-! Had she not brought in all those stupid CREEPS-!"

"Lumi?"

The boy looked down, Candlehead's eyes filled with sadness….but also curiosity.

"W-What?"

"Why do ya hate Vanellope?" the girl asked "I mean….ever since ya got here, ya seemed so hard on her an' it's only gotten worse since we started tha adventure."

Lumi said nothing, looking away.

"Why do ya hate her so much? Ya said she was a bully but…but I don't remember. I don't remember anythin' but ya seem to. How? Why?"

"Candlehead…."

"Lumi….just tell me." The girl begged "I won't tell anyone else, I promise."

"I dunno….."

"I can understand if ya think I'm stupid." The girl said, her little voice shaking "Everyone here thinks I am but I'm not too stupid that I can't keep a-!"

"Candlehead, I keep tellin' ya." The boy broke in "You're not stupid. Far form it…."

The girl backed off, the light of her candle going dim. Lumi knew he had to say something, anything to make the girl feel better and with suspicion on him looming worse than before….

"O-Okay…." The boy shook "I-I'll try ta tell ya."

The cake-themed girl nodded her head, pigtails going everywhere.

"I told ya I have a sister." The boy began his tale "She was a lil thing by tha time tha races were supposed ta start but bein' a kid, she didn't know how ta handle herself 'round a lot of tha bigger ones like us."

"I wasn't mean ta her, was I?" Candlehead asked in worry.

"Nah." Lumi said, a smile poking through "Whenever ya or tha Muttonfudges came, she was always excited."

"Ya mean even Taffyta's parents saw her?"

"I told ya before, ya guys used ta come ta tha fishery all tha time, 'specially your folks." Lumi went on, but his cheerfulness faded a bit, his face looking glum "But Vanellope….?"

Candlehead gulped; this was where it began.

"That's tha funny thing 'bout how our stories all come ta'gether. Vanellope is all mixed in with us but not in a good way. She's like tha glue that holds us ta'gether but in this case someone forced all tha glue on us an' we have no choice but ta stick ta her."

"So she's tacky?"

"No, but her clothes were." Lumi laughed at the joke "All'a this started a year before tha races were supposed ta happen. Tha king an' queenie make this 'nnouncement that they're gonna have this race for all tha kids in tha kingdom an' everyone can join in. Milka-Dud didn't like that because she only wanted tha upper crust kids ta race, not us 'placeholders' as Vanellope's new 'friends' would call us."

"Was tha queen that mean too?"

"She was far more concerned 'bout makin' herself n' tha princess look good for some reason." The boy said, rolling his eyes "Like with that stupid fish. It tasted like paper but since it was so fancy an' so expensive she had ta have it so no one else could. Kinda like Snake tellin' ya guys that if ya win, it has ta be a cheat since Vanellope is tha only racer that matters."

"G-Gee…." Candlehead said, looking down at her hands "Th….that sounds bad…."

Lumi's cheeks blushed; he knew he was making the girl upset but he couldn't hold back the truth any longer. Even if he knew that very few people would believe him he had Candlehead's ear and that was all that mattered to him.

"B-But in tha end King Tobi was tha one who changed all tha rules so EVERYONE could join. H-He was a good guy….but he just had ta suck up ta his Queenie n' Princess." The boy went on "So one day, tha Royals come by tha fishery ta give us invitations an' since I was tha oldest, that meant I got ta ride in tha race."

"Ya must have been excited."

"I WAS!" the boy said, coming out louder than he thought "I mean-! I get ta race in front of tha King n' Queen! An' I get ta build a brand new kart! I couldn't believe it."

"B-but what about Vanellope?"

There was a big sigh; here it comes.

"So my sister….Roly. She had gotten sick with somethin' 'bout her ears an' cuz a that, they were all red an' puffy lookin'. She didn't like it one bit an' it made her upset but mom n' me tried ta make her as comfortable as we could that day. When I got my invite, I took it to my room but I lost sight of Roly while I as doin' it…."

"An'-?"

"She walked out ta tha main dock area where tha Royals were leavin' but King Tobi had somethin' else ta tell my mom. Just then I walk out ta see Vanellope tellin' my sister ta back off because her ears look gross an' ugly an' she kept sayin' things that she'd look that way because of all tha stinky fish around."

Candlehead felt a little sick to her stomach; she knew that Vanellope could lay it on thick with the jokes but she never could imagine her doing such things, especially to a little kid in such a mean-spirited way.

"Oh! That's….that's really bad."

"It got worse…." The boy sighed "Roly starts cryin' because of what Vanellope is sayin' n' I come 'round tellin' her to knock it off but she won't let off. She kept goin' on n' on 'bout how bad our family is cuz we only sell fish n' all that junk. Ya can guess that wasn't makin' me happy but in tha middle all'a this, Roly just…"

The boy stopped, looking at his hands.

"I don't know what was goin' through her mind. Maybe she was mad cuz of how 'Nellope was talkin' bout her ears or maybe she thought tha PRINCESS was talkin' 'bout me but Roly…Roly just went on her and tried ta push her away an'-!"

And?

The boy stopped, teeth gritting as he got angrier and angrier.

"Lumi?"

"SHE HIT HER!" the boy exploded, getting to his feet as he held his hands in the air "That stupid Princess BRAT hit my sister in the ear an' made it WORSE!"

"WHAT?!"

"Yeah, that's right C-Butt…" the boy growled in anger, the girl seeing tears forming as he remembered the sight of his sister, the sounds she made as she cried in pain "She hit my sister 'cuz she knew she could get away with it! 'Cuz she thought that because we weren't Royal, 'cuz we weren't SPECIAL LIKE HER, she could do anythin' ta us! JUST LIKE SHE'S DOIN' NOW!"

Candlehead was nearly blown off the seat, flabbergasted as she gazed upon the still fuming gummie racer.

"An'….an' Roly's hearin' didn't come back too well after that. Even when tha races were over, her ear was always messed up because of Vanellope hittin' her like that."

"But….but that….that only happened in tha backstory." Candlehead said, trying her best to stand up for the other girl "Just because it happened then doesn't mean that Vanellope still thinks that now! That she would do that if-!"

"If Roly were here?" the boy growled "No, she'd have her jack-booted THUGS do it instead!"

"LUMI!"

"Backstories…." The boy hissed between his teeth "They keep goin' back on forth on what they're supposed ta mean, if they're supposed ta matter or not! How ya guys don't have any!"

The boy was angry but he began to cool down, looking at some of the things around Taffyta's home. They were all in the wrong places, things given to her by a mysterious man who had molded the game in his own image.

"This is why I want ta get your stories out." The boy said "Because everyone needs ta see what kinda person they're praisin' an' how much they flip on a story just because it's from a person they don't like."

"Huh?"

"They keep tellin' us we don't have stories; that our stories don't matter. Yet they make it out as if Vanellope's story is tha only one that does, that her backstory matters because of what they think it is. I mean, don't ya think it's funny-?"

"W-What's funny?"

"How they want Vanellope's backstory ta matter so much when it means somethin'." The boy went on "When it can make them look good, suddenly backstories matter an' are everythin' but tha moment it make them look stupid, backstories don't matter anymore. That people aren't their backstories. They flip-flop more than a dyin' fish."

"So….so ya think our backstories are good?"

"OUR backstories are filled with a lotta stuff. Not all'a is pretty but it is worth knowin'." The boy said with a smile "Tha fact that ya have one means a lot. It means ya belong ta this game, that ya belong ta this world, that this is your home."

"But what if I don't like what's in my backstory?"

Lumi looked down, Candlehead pushed back on the cushion as if she were afraid of something.

Could it be she was afraid of knowing more about herself, that there were more bad things about her than what she had done while Turbo was in charge?

"I'm not sure I wanna know anymore…." Candlehead said "There's been so much goin' on….I don't know who I am. I don't know who I wanna be."

"I know you're Candlehead." Lumi said "Ya race, ya cook, ya love life."

"But I don't….at least not anymore." The girl said in a depressed voice "Since things have been changin' here, I don't know if it's possible ta be me anymore or if I even wanna be me. I'm not like Vanellope an' that's all anyone here wants ta see."

"That's their dumb problems." The boy said with a growl "We're not Vanellope an' we better off not bein' like her. What does she have? An empty castle? Bullies for friends? Is that what ya want?"

"N-No…." the cake-girl sniffed "I just wanna be happy again. I want EVERYONE ta be happy. Even you."

The boy stopped in shock, Candlehead's words of kindness once more hitting him in the middle.

She really did know what to say.

"An' by everyone…." She continued "I mean Vanellope too. She deserves ta be happy, like tha rest'a us."

"But not at tha expense of tha rest'a us." The boy said, crossing his arms and clearly showing he was still not in favor of the candy President "I'm still waitin' ta see if Vanellope is actually anythin' different than what she was like in our backstory an' honestly? No, she's not. She's still tha awful Princess she was then an' she's still awful now."

"But she wasn't like that before!" the girl cried out "Before Snake-! Before all those guys-! She-! She was nice ta us! She thought we were friends!"

"Then what kinda friend DROPS ya like that?" Lumi said "What kinda friend just lets people BIGGER THAN YOU beat ya up? Wreck your cars? Tell ya that ya don't matter?"

Candlehead looked down, unable ta answer.

"If this arcade really cared as much about bullyin' as they say they do, they would have told VANELLOPE ta stop a long time ago but they don't. They don't because all they care about is her or makin' HER happy, no matter what happens ta tha rest of ya."

"But I don't think that."

"Candlehead…."

"I know Vanellope is a good person an' I know she's a good President too. But….but she just got kinda lost."

"She should GET lost if ya ask me."

"Lumi, I don't think it's right what she did ta Roly if that's tha reason you're mad-!"

"It's more than that!" the boy said "It's what she did ta you! It's what she did ta tha others! It's what she did ta TAFFYTA!"

The house fell silent, the two unaware that a pair of blue eyes were watching them from the other room.

"Ya know 'bout Taffyta's family. I told ya enough…."

"Y-Yeah, ya did…."

"Tha things Milka tried ta brand 'em as. It's happenin' again but with Snake an' Vanellope's allowin' it!"

"Th-then it's Snake, not Vanellope."

"If Vanellope is as great a President as she claims, she'd take some responsibility for it but she's not. She's gonna try ta wriggle outta it an' make it out as if she was innocent the whole time an' she had no control. Didn't ya tell me ya guys said tha same thing happened with ya an Turbo an' no one believed ya?"

No. NO one did.

"Then why should we give Vanellope tha pass? She should knows what it feels like ta be pulled 'round by a string an' then take tha heat!"

"NO!"

"Candlehead-!"

"No, no, NO!" the girl shouted, getting tired of everything "I don't want anyone else ta feel bad, I don't want anyone else ta feel sad or mad or-!"

She stopped, sobbing softly as she looked down at her feet.

"I just wanna be me. I just wanna be happy. I just wanna be friends."

Lumi realized that perhaps he had crossed the line, gone too far. Candlehead was trying to protect Vanellope with everything she had and yet the boy still tried to override her which was when Lumi was struck.

This WAS Candlehead. No matter what a person had done, she was always willing to forgive them and give them another chance. Even with the things that Vanellope and Ralph had 'allowed' to happen in the game Candlehead still wanted to give them another chance, to be friends in that short span of time that Lumi had not witnessed.

THIS was Candlehead but the girl could not recall it because she could not recall anything. Her memories were still gone….

And Lumi KNEW he had to get them back.

"Okay…"

The girl looked up, the boy looking over to the side in embarrassment.

"Maybe….just maybe…."

"Y-Yeah?"

"Maybe I can give Vanellope another chance." Lumi said "But I can only throw out a bone so many times. If she hurts someone else or lets her friends hurt ya…."

"I-I know she won't!" Candlehead sniffled, standing up tall and strong "You'll see! Once we get things settled, once we find enough of your story-!"

HIS story.

Candlehead still wanted to go on?

She wanted to find HIS story as well?

"Lumi, I wanna help…." The girl said as she took the gummie boy's hand "I really do. But I think ta do that, we can't be scared of Vanellope anymore. Turbo scared us with her an' it made us bully her…."

"But she's bullyin' ya back!"

"Snake is. His friends are…." Candlehead said "But I don't think Vanellope would ever wanna hurt us. She's not tha kinda person. An' I wanna give her another chance."

* * *

"They've had too many chancessssssss….."

"Yes, they have…."

"Sssssso it'sssss time we ssssshow them what kind of Presssssident you are."

Vanellope sat slouched on her throne, Snake by her side. She was angry, she was BOILING at what she had seen Taffyta do to Ralph.

She kicked him.

She HURT him.

How could she?

HOW COULD SHE?!

"I think thesssssssse new lawsssss will be perfect for keeping thossssse pl-!"

Hold your tongue, Snake. Hold it.

"The otherssss….." the reptile quickly corrected himself "Out of trouble and the resssst of usssss ssssafe."

"They better." Vanellope growled, holding a large manuscript in her hands "Because NO ONE hurts my friends while I'm in charge!"


	28. Chapter Twenty Seven- Security

Chapter Twenty Seven- Security

No one in the game got a wink of sleep that night, their minds filled with dread as to what would come to them all once the arcade was open. Lumi lay on his cot, hands shaking as he could only wonder what words were going around the arcade this time.

"Not like I haven't seen how stupid people can act whenever they wanna say somethin' rotten 'bout us…." The boy mumbled to himself, his mind remembering that there were two others in the cottage.

He looked around, Candlehead asleep on the couch and looking back towards Taffyta's room. The strawberry racer had remained silent through the entirety of the night, saying not a word to anyone about the artifacts they had found in the middle of the forest.

The broken circus caravans, the posters, the worn lights; there was something odd about their placement so far in the game. Lumi had his words, had his stories but this time he kept himself from saying too much but he still had to think to himself; why were they so far away? Why weren't they hidden like everything else?

The supposed King Candy had done such a wonderful job in hiding everything else, burying them so deep and so well that even a soft reset had not fully restored them, let alone the memories that he recalled but the others could not.

And that's where the biggest trouble came in.

He could remember, he could recall but no one wanted to believe him. No one around the boy wanted to hear it, most of all when it had nothing to do with Vanellope. Even when the new areas arrived, there were many doubters, so many from all over the arcade who came to spout out how they were fake, how they meant nothing, that it was impossible for anyone side from Vanellope to have any portion of the game for them.

And the names….

Lumi felt he were tough. He considered himself tough but as the days went on he could only wonder how much more of it he could take. Snake was relentless with the other racers on calling them Placeholders and Cheaters but the more that Lumi heard virus thrown towards him….

The more his heart started to break.

Why wouldn't anyone in the arcade accept it? Why wouldn't anyone in the arcade accept the idea that there could be more racers, that Sugar Rush was so much larger than it was, that it had so much more going for it than Vanellope? Everyone had accepted Vanellope back but maybe that was because she had something they didn't, because she had something that entertained them.

She had her glitch.

What did Lumi have?

Fish?

A bunch of stories in his head?

Stories he was slowly starting to feel as if they were fading away with each new bad experience he had around the game.

The boy rolled over, feeling his chest heat up the more irritated he became. It was her; Vanellope. All the trouble that had befallen both him and the other racers was because of her. He could remember the moment he felt his code spark and fill with light when Candlehead and Taffyta had activated him but he also remembered the moment he felt as if any sort of connection he had in the game was severed he learned just how anyone and everyone reacted around him when he gave Vanellope anything less than glowing praise upon getting 'reacquainted' with her. Everyone was hanging onto her word and her's only, the big smelly Wrecker adding to the confusion and the puzzle of what had gone on. Lumi still had so many questions himself, questions to what had really gone on in the game, questions to who Turbo actually was, questions to why everyone was praising the glitch….

Questions to why Turbo had thrown him in the dump instead of using him if he had found his box.

"Settle down, Lumi….settle down."

He just could not, his stomach hurting just a tad when he turned and looked upon Candlehead sleeping soundly on the couch. She had been so nice, done everything she could to keep the peace between so many parties but what thanks did she get from it? She was still labeled as a bully, as a cheat, and when there were so many people around to witness what Snake had done to her on the track, no one batted an eye. This only made the boy's anger rise, the words about how peaceful Litwak's was turning bitterer in his mouth.

This was no arcade paradise.

This was the worst.

The pits.

What kind of game was he in that only one person could enjoy being who they were….

But everyone else was shamed for it?

This wasn't Sugar Rush.

This was a nightmare.

"Backstory in….backstory out." He growled to himself, pulling the blankets over his eyes, shutting them tight and trying to think of anything to rest his weary brain "She's still a bully. Still a brat."

As Lumi kept his eyes shut, he was unaware that someone else was sharing his nervousness. The door to Taffyta's room creaked slightly, opening just a tad to allow the girl to look upon the two in her tiny living room.

Lumi was only there because he had no home.

Candlehead was there because she had been terrified to return home.

In her hearts of hearts, she too was scared. She too was nervous but the mixture of anger and fear came together to form a terrible mix. She remembered her mind going back to places she could not recall but felt so painfully familiar, hearing the circus music and the lights as well as the two voices of the unknown adults.

There were no adults in Sugar Rush everyone said but somehow, Taffyta knew they were wrong. Those from the outside knew so little about the game yet she could not speak out about it, least she be shoved down once again. She had so many thoughts, so many ideas of her own but even with how heated she could be against Vanellope, the previous experience she had had at the track kept her words shut inside of her.

She regretted hitting Ralph like that, her body moving faster than her mind but she didn't want him to touch her. She didn't want anyone to touch her after how many hands had been placed upon her for more than a year. It hadn't been the first time they had hit her, the first time they had kicked her, the first time they had punched, pulled or pinched.

But when she tried to tell….

When the others tried to tell…..

No response.

No help.

Nothing.

She knew Vanellope was mad but in the back of her mind, she just didn't care. She couldn't care about whether or not Vanellope was upset that Ralph had been hit, not with how slow to the uptake she had been with every other instance of emergency that had gone on in the game.

But a President was supposed to be busy.

Though 'busy' in Vanellope's case meant going out to another party with Snake and his cohorts.

Taffyta even had to wonder if Vanellope knew about the circus things deep in the game. After all, the vanilla 'glitch' had made the backwoods of Sugar Rush her home. Surly she would have used the junk to form some sort of makeshift hovel as she did with the candy volcano but apparently….

Even as perfect as people claimed Vanellope was, maybe she didn't know everything.

"Like she doesn't know how her friends are treating us, I guess."

The hours ticked away and morning finally came, every one of the racers feeling the weight of the day squelching them down already. They slogged from their homes, looking weary and their colors duller than ever.

"I don't wanna go up there." Said Minty with a grumble "Can we just fake it an' say that tha roster needs ta reset? I'm sure those kids will know!"

"Don't even chance it, Mintz." Swizzle said, yawning in exhaustion "Ya know how one outta place thing will make everyone think we're outta order."

"As if they're gonna care…." Mumbled the green girl "One outta place thing, they're gonna blame it on us. Like clockwork."

Swizz said nothing, hating that he was agreeing with the girl inside.

The kids continued to discuss things to themselves, Lumi straggling in the back and making sure he wasn't spotted by anyone who wasn't familiar with the game. Who knew if Snake would send out more of his toadies in the early morning to scout the kids; he couldn't be too careful.

"Lumi?"

The boy looked over, Candlehead approaching him in worry. Of everyone, she looked the worst, her usual bright mint-green hair so diluted it was almost grey, her eyes losing all their sparkle and candy-glow.

"Still worried?" she asked in a little voice, Lumi finding it so odd that she was far more concerned about him given everything that had happened.

The boy smirked, playing up as not to worry the girl "Me? Nah. I'm thinkin' real hard 'bout fish again."

"Th-that's good." Candlehead stammered, her body hunched and looking away.

The boy couldn't stand this; his mind called back to Candlehead being cheery and bright and when he had first encountered her within the game, she reflected that. But as things went on, the girl's spirit and love had slowly been chipped away, removed by the relentless hounding brought in by Vanellope's so-called 'friends'. The boy felt the anger rise in his throat again, hating to see everyone so disheartened and discouraged all the while Vanellope was allowed to act as if things were care free, her woes more or less fawned upon at the drop of a hat yet everyone else had to take it.

Just take it.

That's what the others were expected to do.

But it was not what Lumi was not PROGRAMMED nor RAISED to do.

"Are ya gonna race today?"

Candlehead shook her head slowly, her hair limp and nowhere near as bouncy as it should have been, another symptom of the girl's spirits being broken. He sighed, trying his best to keep up his smile.

"S'kay, C-Butt."

The girl only glanced at the boy in shame, finding no heart to say anything more.

"How 'bout this." The boy said, stopping in front of her "I know they don't want me near that stupid track. So why don't we go fishin' again?"

"Fishin'?"

"Yeah! We had such a good time tha last time we went! An' that fish we caught! It was amazin' an' even more so after ya fixed it!"

Lumi was trying his hardest to lift the girl's spirits up, to see some sort of color change about her and when he saw a little smile….

Then maybe…

"Y-Ya thought it was good?"

Bingo; he was getting somewhere.

"Best grill I've had since gettin' out….but I guess since I hadn't been out for a long time…"

"Th-there are other lakes an' ponds."

The boy looked down, Candlehead finally looking him in the eyes there, deep within the back, nearly hidden away.

He could have sworn he saw a spark.

"I-I know….I know tha place where your home is is kinda junky…." The girl went on "But…but do ya remember any other place ya cudda visited? Any other places your family cudda gone?"

"What are ya askin', C-Butt?"

"Well….I had a thought." The girl said, rubbing her hands nervously "M-Maybe if your family were 'round water an' stuff, they'd have special places they'd like ta go ta have fun?"

"Y-Yeah, yeah!" Lumi said, shaking his head "We did like ta go 'round when we got days off! We used ta visit nearly every place here an'-!"

The boy stopped, his face dropping.

"But tha map."

"A-ah-huh?"

"There are so many things that are outta place, still." The boy said with sadness in his voice "My place looks bad enough but tha lakes are everywhere they shouldn't be. Houses are still missin'…."

The dullness of Candlehead's colors returned, the girl realizing her mistake "Oh, I knew it was dumb."

"Huh?"

"I'm stupid." The girl meeped, pinching her fingers in nervousness "I know I am so I guess I would say somethin' like that."

The boy frowned, once more reminded how Snake's endless bullying of the girl had brought her down to such lows. He put a reassuring hand on the girl's shoulder, leading her back towards the others.

"Nah, C-Butt. You're not stupid." He said, his tone giving way to how serious he was "Tha game is still waitin' for us ta fix it right. An' I have a feelin' your memories of some of these places are right, but now? Where they are isn't."

The girl knew Lumi was being nice but she just couldn't bring herself out of her funk, not with how Snake and the other's words swirled in her head.

Stupid!

Brainless little Placeholder!

Moron!

Couldn't tell the difference between your head or your tail pipes!

Candledunce!

 **CANDLEDUNCE!**

The girl placed her hands upon her ears and whimpered, slowly sinking down to the ground.

"C-Butt!"

She couldn't hold it back, even if it were embarrassing to start crying in public so early but she just couldn't hold it back. Her sobs became more painful, her head hurting worse but then-

*GLITCH!*

Another glitch, and one not from Vanellope?

Lumi let out a startled gasp, Candlehead glitching wildly as she continued to cry "C-Candlehead! Candlehead, are you-?!"

The girl seemed locked in her position, her mind echoing every word Snake and the others had thrown at her, her body feeling the impact of when she was smashed against Lumi's kart. She wanted it stop, she wanted to escape, but she couldn't. She was trapped, caught in the darkness of her own warping code.

"We need ta get ya help!" Lumi cried out but Candlehead remained huddled on the ground, rocking on her feet.

"M-M-Mama! P-P-P-P-Papa!" she glitched, crying harder than before.

 _"Did the Princess really say that to her?"_

 _"I heard it with my own ears, Cassie!"_

 _"But...but I just don't understand..._ _"_

 _"I can't do this anymore, Castalla. I just can't! There's only so much leniency I can give to tha Royals! There's only so much I can let them say to us-!"_

 _"Meiji, what can we do?! We-! We're..."_

 _"What, Cassie?!"_

 _"I-I just don't-!"_

 _"Honey, I know you wanna be nice. I know ya wanna be fair ta everyone...but even if you're part of tha upper-crust, I am not gonna allow ya to insult my family!"_

 _"But Meiji-!"_

 _"This isn't tha first time Vanellope's called Candlehead brainless. This isn't tha first time she's called her useless! This isn't tha first time she's called her CANDLEDUNCE!"_

 ** _CANDLEDUNCE!_**

 **BA-BONG!**

The loud clanging of the tower bells sounded, the children looking up to see the golden bell shining in the morning light. The low echo came upon the ailing girl, finally snapping her back to her normal self.

"C-Butt!" Lumi said, a small smile of relief on his face "You're back! For a moment there, I thought-!"

Candlehead looked confused, as if she had been gone from the game in days yet everything that had happened only transpired moments before.

Castalla?

Meiji?

Why did those names sound so familiar?

Why did those names feel so familiar?

The loud bells continued to ring across the land, Lumi looking up and dreading the sight of the Candy Castle.

"We don't hafta go..." the boy said "You're sick! Ya need-!"

"No."

"No?"

The girl rose on her feet albeit clumsily. She was still scared, still worried but she felt that she couldn't hide from Vanellope, no matter how badly she felt.

"I-I don't want anyone to get worried..." the girl stuttered, Lumi watching on in shock as the girl forced herself to go ahead. It didn't take long for the two to arrive at the busy and crowded area near the window podium of the castle, the candy racers looking on as the tiny candy NPCs chattered among themselves worryingly.

"It's not openin' time yet." Swizz said, looking at his watch "Somethin' big is up."

"What's goin' on?" asked Snowanna, the crowd of tiny candies meeping in worry around her. Nougetsia and Adorabeezle stood next to the rainbow racer, the older of the two Popsicle sisters trying her best to shield her eyes as she looked towards the podium.

"Couldn't tell ya, Snowy but whatever it is, Vanellope must be really worried. She never holds announcements this close ta openin'."

Lumi stayed in the back of the group as not to rise any suspension towards himself but his frown could be seen for miles, Candlehead ducked next to him.

"What's Von Cheatz gotta say this time?"

Inside the castle Vanellope got her scrolls together, holding the massive rolls in her arms but feeling them slip about. She had thought a lot the previous night and she had done a lot as well but as those seconds to revealing herself inched closer by she started to find she was much more nervous than she had imagined. She made a tiny peek out the window, seeing the candies below but the racers stood out most of all.

Maybe this was a mistake, holding such an event so close to opening and so publicly as well. Maybe it would have been better if she called all the racers into the castle to talk to them one on one….

"You can do thissss, Pressssident."

The girl jolted, turning around to see Snake joining her with a grin, a few of his companions walking about the halls. She looked back at the tall character, his face so soft but it held a sense of confidence that she just could not emulate.

"Snake, look…" the girl began "I know what I said last night. I know how I felt but…."

"What your majessssssty?"

Vanellope walked over to her desk, dropping the mass of paper on the ground. She took another look at the crowds below, feeling a lot smaller than she could have imagined.

"What if this goes down bad?" the girl asked Snake though the words were meant mostly for herself "I know I wanna keep everyone safe an' happy but-!"

"And you will." Snake broke in once more, stopping Vanellope's words before she could finish "Once thessssse rulesssss get out, I can asssssure you that there will be no more trouble."

Vanellope was starting to doubt more than ever "Maybe….maybe. But-? Some of this feels familiar?"

"How sssssso?"

The girl rubbed her arm "When Tur-Butt was in charge….he always made up these rules an' stuff."

"Oh, of courssssse we know about that." Snake chuckled to himself "And of courssssse, thossssse little PLaceholdersssss-!"

"It wasn't just about ME, Snake."

The reptile was jolted from his little bout of gloating, words silent as he looked upon the candy President.

"Now I know back then no one wanted ta get 'round me with a ten-pixel pole." The girl began "But…but when I did get near tha track. I did notice Tur-Butt out some silly rules on tha others."

"Well, I guesssss he had to in order to keep their feeble mindsssss under his rule."

"But I don't wanna repeat that."

"Thisssss isssss necessssssary, Pressssident." The reptile continued "After all, you ssssssaw how they treat our friendsssss in our absssssence."

Vanellope remembered how Taffyta had taken a strike on Ralph, and right when the man had helped her as well though as angered as she was at the moment her mind kept going back to just how awful Taffyta looked the moment she had hit him. She may not have thought about it first but what HAD happened those few seconds before? Why was Taffyta covered in trash, in dirt….

And why was Ralph helping her?

The terrible dance between anger and uncertainty began their moves within Vanellope again, the girl feeling caught but remembering she had a duty to uphold not just for Sugar Rush but everyone she had aligned herself with. She had made a promise that she would help those in need all around the arcade and as Snake had consoled her the night before, this was needed.

"Young Presssssident…."

The girl looked up, Snake giving her a reassuring smile.

"I believe in you."

"Huh?"

"Trusssst me when I ssssay that I believe in you." The bad continued, his voice soft and plush as had been the way when Vanellope had first met him "And I know what it feelssss like to have people doubt your every move, your very exisssstence."

The girl felt some sadness come over her, recalling those painful days of the past.

"If thosssse PL-"

Snake stopped himself, retracting his words for this moment.

"If the otherssssss don't undersssstand or ressssspect you thisssss far in, it'sssss their fault." The baddie continued "They have been shown what power you have, what intelligence you have, just how sssssspecial you are."

When those words hit Vanellope's ears….

Doubt.

It had never hit so hard.

"There issssss only sssssso much we can expect from them at thisssss point." The reptile went on "They were not programmed with advancementsssss in their codessss like usssss."

"Advancements?"

"Yessssss." Snake nodded "Their mindsssss are ssssso one track, ssssso sssssimple. That isssss how Turbo wassssss able to get control of them ssssso ea-!"

"Y-You know…." Vanellope managed to get in "It's not like I knew what was goin' on."

"Oh?"

"I didn't even remember who I was." Vanellope said, feeling her voice quiver in her throat as she went about "Turbo locked all of our minds. It…it wasn't like any of us could have done anythin' ta…."

She stopped, feeling conflicted in the moment as Snake looked down upon her. Was this the right thing? After all, Snake had promised her so much and to say such things towards him. Was he now thinking that she didn't think he was doing enough, that he was wasting his time?

She didn't know.

But for once she wanted to do the right thing.

She took a deep breath in, gathering up the scrolls as she prepared to step out to the podium.

"Ya know what?"

"Yessssss….."

"We can't back out now." The girl said, a frown on her face "This is a job I intend ta finish!"

There was so much nervousness shared by all outside, the citizens of the game awaiting their President.

"Could she take any longer?" Taffyta moaned to herself, rolling her eyes "It's bad enough she makes us wait for what I know is gonna be a buncha tra-!"

The royal buglers played loudly, announcing the appearance of the game's leader, Sour Bill stepping out first onto the window-side podium.

"And now…." Sour Bill said gloomily over the intercom "Our President. Vanellope Von Schweetz."

The Presidential theme played loudly but those in the crowd below didn't respond as much as Vanellope was used to. The cheers were sparse and few in-between, the sea of candy people looking tired and exhausted.

And the racers?

Vanellope could see it in their eyes; they didn't want to be there. Their taller forms stuck out in the crowd but most of all it was their expressions. Not a single one of the racers smiled, the collective emotion shared by all a mixture of apathy and annoyance.

" _Ho boy…._ " Vanellope gulped to herself, suddenly having second thoughts on the entire thing "Maybe doin' things this early wasn't a good idea."

"Trusssst me…." Said Snake, hiding behind the curtains "Thissss needsssss to be ssssssaid!"

Vanellope felt even more uncertain, the music finally stopping as all attention went towards her.

"Ah-heh…..hi?"

The microphone rang with feedback, a few of the candies covering their ears from the sound.

"Sorry."

"Will she get on with it?" Taffyta whispered to the other racers "Or does she think everythin' she does is just so 'cute n random'?"

"Hello everyone. I'm certain you're all wonderin' why I called ya out this early an' on such late notice." Vanellope began, trying her best to keep her stomach from turning "Well, it has come ta my notice that there have been some issue goin' on in the game."

There was a stir among the other crowd but once more the reaction Vanellope saw from them was the opposite of what she had expected. If anything the tiny candy NPCs looked even more worried than before, almost as if they were the ones the spotlight was focused on. The racers kept to themselves but Taffyta's subtle nod spoke volumes towards them.

The show was about to begin.

"When I returned ta my role as ruler of Sugar Rush, there was one thing I had promised myself. That no one would know what it was like to be bullied, as I had been thanks in part ta Turbo."

Some of the racers were a little surprised to find that Vanellope had laid the actions of their own upon Turbo, especially given they couldn't go for very long without hearing someone reminding them of what they had done. For some, it had peaked up feelings of hope that perhaps Vanellope was going to start something to repair the game not on a technical level but something far more close and personal.

Some of the racers thought that.

But not all.

Lumi still was restrained on letting out too much trust to the vanilla racer, a little growl coming from his chest _"She doesn't want anyone to know what it's like ta be bullied? There's a big fish tale…"_

"There have been a few incidents…." The candy President continued "That required quick attention an' action. An' after goin' over 'em I realized that I might not be enough ta stop all tha trouble that is goin' on. Even with my guards, there is still too much trouble happenin' right now an' I need some help!"

" _She's askin' for help?"_ Rancis whispered over to the group.

" _Oh, nooooo…."_ Taffyta mewed _"But I thought Widdle Miss President was perfect. She can never make mistakes, ever!"_

" _Taffyta, shhh!"_

"Because of this influx of needs…." Vanellope continued on "I have decided ta hire a few more hands ta help."

" _What? Are they gonna bake some new guards?"_ observed Torvald.

"Before anyone asks…." The President went on "We're gonna take this in a way that doesn't put any more stress on you guys. Ya have already done more than enough an' right now? It's time for me ta take up tha guns an' finally get things back in order!"

" _So she's admitin' she was doin' jack before?"_ Lumi whispered again, Candlehead looking down at her feet nervously. The girl could feel it in her stomach that she may have been the only one who wanted to keep her hopes about Vanellope, to give her a chance but even she could not hide the fact from herself that she was nervous to what this announcement meant. Maybe Vanellope was going to start spending more time with the others, to finally see more to them….

But on the other?

On the other side of her mind, she felt that the news was only going to get worse.

"Who are these helpers?"

Everyone looked about, surprised to hear a voice from the crowd.

Taffyta Muttonfudge.

Even Vanellope was a little taken aback by the call towards her, seeing the pink racer in the middle of the crowd, her pink attire standing out amongst all the dullness. Her glare was cold, cutting right into Vanellope's code as she put her hands to her hips.

"Who are these 'helpers', Von Schweetz?" Taffyta asked again, her voice coming out strong.

"Is there a reason ya gotta now?" the vanilla racer responded just as sourly.

"Yeah, kinda." The strawberry racer said "I wanna know because it seems that since ya got back on 'track', everyone ya let in here seems ta have a habit of trashin' tha place. That's all."

Vanellope's brows twitched, Taffyta contempt easy to both hear and see. She breathed in through her nose, trying her best to not let the other girl get to her.

"Taffyta, I know ya've been upset-"

" _It's not just her…."_ Lumi commented from the back, Candlehead giving him a shush.

"But ya gotta trust me on this."

"There is only so much trust I can hand out, Von Schweetz." Taffyta huffed to herself, flipping her bangs.

"Then can I ask for one last one from ya? Is that at least okay?"

Taffyta already knew things were only going to get worse, Vanellope's fidgety nature as she stood on the podium a clear indication that something, or someone, terrible was hiding behind it so unlike the others she was already geared up for the punch that was to come in mere moments.

"This is somethin' I had ta do!" Vanellope spoke, her voice ringing loudly through the microphone "An' I know a few of ya have been thinkin' I've been all out on what's been goin' on but I have heard ya! An' I wanna do somethin'! Just-!"

She was losing focus, trying her most to keep her head clear.

"I know some of ya are nervous. An' I'm nervous too since this is tha first time I've tried somethin' like this. But it's gotta be done. There's just so many of us here an' there's only so much I can do!"

"Oh, really?"

Taffyta kept her stance, a few of the racers moving away as the impending rift between the girls was growing even larger.

"When ya got back, ya made it seem like nothin' was impossible for ya." The strawberry racer said in a mocking tone "Ya made it seem like ya had all tha power in tha arcade, that ya were so perfect an' unlike tha rest of us. What happened, Von Schweetz? Don't tell me livin' tha high life is gettin' ta ya."

"When have I ever-?!"

Taffyta's eyes narrowed, Vanellope's words stopped.

Keep your mind clear. Keep your mind clear, Vanellope.

"Alright, ya wanna play it this way, Muttonfudge?" the vanilla racer growled "Why don't ya do me a favor an' keep your feet offa people?"

"Depends. Tell people to keep their hands offa us."

This wasn't going to end, the two girls refusing to let the other win and especially in front of the large crowd. Vanellope knew she had to regain control however, that she had to regain control over both the game and the people within it. Even if she anticipated that Taffyta would be the most vocal of the group she couldn't let the strawberry girl overpower her. There was only a few precious moments before the arcade opened and if she wanted things to go smoothly….

"Guys, please understand." Vanellope continued "I just want everyone here ta be happy. I want my friends ta be happy."

" _Which friends is she talkin' about?"_ Lumi whispered _"Cuz tha only people who seem she seems ta care about-!"_

"That's why I've asked them ta join us ta help keep Sugar Rush safe!" Vanellope finished, stepping aside to let the others through….

And a collective gasp went over the crowd.

"No!"

"Is she serious!"

Right before the eyes of the candy citizens the line of Snake and his friends paraded out onto the castle podium, the worry of them all coming true.

"NO!" Taffyta shouted in anger "No way, Von Schweetz!"

"Whatever issssss the matter?" cooed Snake as he took to the mic, looking down upon the nervous citizens "Issss there a problem, Muttonflub?"

"Darn right there is!" the girl marched up closer to the podium, pointing directly at Vanellope "THESE are tha guys ya think would be best ta keep us safe?! These are tha guys ya think would help us in any way!"

"Taffyta-! Urgh!"

Vanellope rushed her way down the side stairs, making her way towards the angry racer.

"They said they would help when we came up with tha plan! Why would-?!"

"An' of course-!" Taffyta stepped in, flicking her wrist "Miss President 'I care 'bout tha citizens' doesn't even ask a word from us before all'a this comes ta pass. I shouldn't even be surprised at this point."

"Taffyta, I'm tryin' ta help!" Vanellope roared again, her face turning red in anger "What more do ya want me ta do?!"

"Get them away from US ta start." Taffyta growled "Ya seriously can't be that stupid ta think they haven't played a part in any of this that's been goin' on."

"Like-? Like what?"

"Do I need ta list it?" the pink racer quipped "How about constantly accusin' us of cheatin' even when there's evidence that we didn't? Vandalizin' an' stealin' our karts? Spreadin' rumors, hittin' us, markin' up our homes?"

The pink girl stopped, stepping back towards the others, Vanellope seeing the looks upon their faces.

"I mean, I could go on. That is if you're willin' ta listen ta PLACEHOLDERS like us, that is."

"Stop actin' like I haven't seen what's been happenin', Taff. That's why I want these guys ta help!"

"With what exactly?!"

"Everythin'!" Vanellope blurted out "I told ya, I can only do so much on my own, even with tha glitch an' after I got sick-?!"

Vanellope stopped, shaking a bit from the memory of her illness not to long ago.

"Hear me out, Muttonfudge. When I was sick, one of tha things on my mind was what would happen ta ya guys without me."

"An' it was glorious." Taffyta said nonchalantly "Brings back tha days when tha games went off without a glitch."

"Ya mean when Tur-butt had our minds in a box?" Vanellope said coldly, the pink racer's smirk not making her feel any better.

"A minor hitch but at least things went on smoothly."

"An' I can do better, Muttonfudge. AN' why? Because I'm SUPPOSED ta be here, I'm tha leader that-!

"Leader? Ya were programmed ta be an over-glorified, over-pampered Princess. Not a leader."

"An' I became President!"

"An' you're doin' just as good a job with that as ya were a Princess!"

"Taffyta! URGH! Why are ya bein' so hard on us?! Tha guys are just gonna make sure nothin' happens ta-!"

"I'm tha one bein' hard?! I'm sorry, I didn't know fightin' back against actual bad guys who only seem ta want it out on ya was considered bein' 'too hard'!"

"How could ya blame them for anythin'?!" Vanellope said, motioning her hands towards the others "Some of these guys don't even have homes anymore thanks ta their games bein' unplugged an' jobs like this are tha only thing keepin' outta trouble."

"They'd be in even LESS trouble if they'd stop roundin' us up."

The girls turned, Lumi looking towards the two with the other racers in tow. Vanellope groaned, putting a hand upon her forehead; none of them had time for this.

"Guys, please-"

"This is nuts, Von Schweetz!" the gummie boy said, Vanellope a little surprised that he had called her by her proper name "Why of all people do ya think that side-winder is gonna help us with anythin'!?"

"Look, Lumzi…." The girl continued, her expression showing she had no patients for the boy "We had a talk. An' I know things have been really….'rough' for ya, bein' as we're still tryin' ta figure out what ya are-"

"I already know what I am, Von Schweetz!" the boy shouted, surprising the other racers at his outburst "I KNOW I am a race! I'm just waitin' for tha moment when ya finally wake up an' realize that!"

"If ya were a real racer, ya wudda been on tha board, boy!" cackled a voice from above, the group looking up to see the figure of Baston above them. A few of the others with him chuckled their agreements, Lumi balling his fist.

"I HAVE proof!" the boy said, reaching for his pockets to find the slip of torn paper from the old banners "If ya would just listen ta us for once, then I could-!"

"And why in the arcade should we lisssssten to PLACEHOLDERSSSSS like you?"

Everyone felt a chill surrounding them as Snake slithered his way through the crowd, pushing away some of the candy NPCs for measure. A few of the racers backed away, terrified at the larger characters presence before them but a few refused to back away, not with the way they had been treated before.

"Whether ya think we're placeholders or not, Snake-Breath-" the gummie boy hissed through his teeth "We're still tha rightful citizens an' characters of this game. Tha fact that you're tha one bustin' in here an' makin' things worse tells more about ya than us!"

"Pastalie-!" Vanellope shouted "Don't say-!"

"It's PASTILI, Von Cheatz! Stop pretendin' like ya don't know!" the boy snapped, at his wits end "Ya had plenty'a time ta see what's goin' on here but ya keep turnin' on us! Ya keep-!"

"That's enough out of you!" Snake yelled as he took the boy by his collar and yanked him off the ground "If you were really apart of thissss game, you'd know shouting at the Pressssident and any of her officials-!"

"You're not an official!" Lumi bellowed, kicking his arms and legs wildly "M-M-Mr. Flubbutters! H-he an' Sour Bill were tha only ones who helped tha King!"

From within the crowd, Ranics' heart skipped a beat; Mr. Flubbutters? A family member?

His dad perhaps?

Snake laughed at the struggling of the boy, the actions more entertainment than he could ever wish for.

"Ssssure, sssssure. Keep sssssaying thosssse made up namessss, Virusssss!"

"THEY'RE NOT MADE UP!" Lumi roared again but he felt so dizzy and surrounded, the sounds of Snake and his troupe's horrifying laughter everywhere "They-! I-! Listen to me!"

But no one did, at least anyone who wasn't a racer. Before anyone could step in, Snake had managed to wrangle the boy up for all of the new 'enforcers' to see, the reptile holding his small, green prize above all as if he were using him as a warning.

"Thissss issss why the Pressssident requiresssss our asssssistance." The boss snarled at the boy, throwing him back to the ground as he addressed the others "Anyone with half a pixel in their brain can sssssee that thisssss 'boy' isssss making everything up!"

"I'm not!" Lumi shouted again "An' how do ya explain tha houses?! Snowy's? Swizz'? Are ya still gonna call 'em fake even when they're smackin' ya in tha face?!"

"Any virus who knowsssss what he's doin' could fake some things." Smirked Baston as he stood over the others "Turbo managed ta do it."

"Lumi's NOT Turbo." Taffyta glowered, stepping between the two characters but the larger of the two scoffed.

"Wait, I guess you're right. Comparin' this lil blight ta Turbo would be givin' him way too much credit!"

The laughing continued, Vanellope looking on….

But something quickly came to.

"Guys!"

Everyone went silent, looking over at the worn looked President.

"Look, we can talk about this later. All'a us." Vanellope panted "Right now? We gotta race."

"I'm surprised ya still wanna race with us at all." Sniffed Taffyta "I thought bein' too close ta us PLACEHOLDERS made ya break out or somethin'."

"You should be HONORED to race with the likes of Vanellope, Muttonflub!" barked Baston, some of the others gathering around her but Taffyta rolled her eyes once more, leading the other racers towards the garage.

"I'd be more honored in the presence of a zombie slug. At least it'd be easier on tha eyes."

Taffyta was really making it difficult for Vanellope to hold her anger back but her mind had been made and by now it was far too late to even state another word. The clock had hit ten-o'clock sharp and the gamers were coming in.

"Guys, just…"

The others turned, showing they had no trust in their supposed leader, Vanellope getting the message quickly. She huffed, crossing her arms across her chest and glitched through the crowds.

"If ya don't do anythin', I won't need ta call tha guys out."

"If only she were as sweet as tha castle she hogs up." Lumi grunted, looking over at Candlehead "Ya still wanna head out?"

"Yeah…." The girl said gloomily "I kinda gotta feelin' things aren't gonna be too nice on tha tracks today."

"If this is what Von Cheatz wants, she can have it." The boy grunted, waving his hand towards the vanilla racer "My only question is how ya guys managed ta stand all'a this even before ya let me out."

"I-it wasn't this bad." Candlehead meeped, once again lowering her head in shame "Please believe me Lumi, but back then-! Before we found ya?"

She stammered, finding it difficult to even string her words together but after all the negativity of the morning the mint-chip racer still felt she had to say something in Vanellope's defense but as time and time was going on, it was becoming harder for her to do so.

She still wanted to be Vanellope's friend, she wanted Vanellope to see her as a friend but with each new incident it just felt that the endeavor was for naught. The racers were only drifting further and further apart and this new 'executive order' only caused the already shaken girl's doubt to rise. She knew it was bad to think of Snake and his baddie friends as 'actual bad guys' but they weren't making it any mystery that they disliked her and the other racers so much. But if Vanellope hung around them, if she let them go everywhere, maybe there was nothing wrong.

After all, it was Vanellope Von Schweetz; she was an arcade hero and heroes can never be wrong.

Or at least, that's what she had been told.

"Don't waste your breath on it, C-Butt." Lumi said "It's not your job ta vouch for Vanellope. If she's really that good'a person, she'd show it to us herself. Not rely on other people ta tell us."

Candlehead blinked, a little perplexed to the boy's words "I just wanna make her happy."

"Ya make tons of people happy already, C-Butt." The boy said "An' if Von Cheatz can't see that through all tha scales, she's missin' out."

Lumi kept it to himself but the boy still wasn't ready to forgive Vanellope for allowing Snake to smash Candlehead's face into the side of his kart, even with the girl's constant forgiveness towards her. He knew it from the way she carried herself and how many times she repeated those words that the mint-chip racer was only saying those things partly due to her own fear. Candlehead wasn't a toadie, as much as his memories told him anyway, and seeing her snivel and bow down to everything all the while getting hurt in the process only made him wish he could find more proof for the others even more.

He needed to get back on the hunt, to find all the assets and evidence he needed to uproot Vanellope from the high-horse she had been placed upon. Litwak's could deny it for a while but once the game finally turned over, they wouldn't have anything else to say and that was just what the boy wanted. He could feel his lips twitch with a smile as he thought about it but he did his best to conceal it.

" _Yeah, somethin' ta get both Von Cheatz an' tha smelly gorilla off our backs."_ the boy thought to himself " _An' once they see how she acted in her backstory, then-!"_

"Where do you think you're going?!"

The two children cried out, nearly jumping up a foot as they turned and faced the scowling mug of Snake-Oil. Lumi quickly took ahold of Candlehead's hand going into protect-mode.

"D-Don't ya think we should be askin' that question, Snake-Face? It's openin' time an' you're not back at your game?"

"I have one job to take care of before I am required back at home…." The snake hissed menacingly at the two and his hand quickly dove down for the boy, snatching him up once again.

Candlehead gasped in alarm but she did not get to the boy in time "No! NO! What are ya gonna do with him?!"

"You can not expect me to leave thisssss virusssss free to roam about, do you?"

"He wasn't gonna be alone!" Candlehead pleaded "I was gonna watch him! I was gonna take care of him!"

"Huh, asssss if your brain can regisssssster a complete thought you little moron." Snake growled again, landing a finger hard upon the racer's head and knocking her back.

"Stop touchin' her like that, ya creep!" Lumi yelled, once more trying and failing to fight himself free. Snake laughed, once more entertained by the antics of the boy.

"Awwww, don't feel sssssso bad. It'sssss not like we're going to take you to the Fungeon or anything."

Lumi continued to struggle was he was whisked away, Candlehead now by herself near the gates of the towering castle. She felt like she had to do something but she was far too scared of Snake to even move yet she knew that no one in the castle could help.

Would they even want to help?

She just did not know.

It didn't take long for Lumi to be led to one of the storage garages near the track, Snake taking a back way as not to be spotted by the other racers or spectators.

"I can walk ya gap-fanged monster!" Lumi shouted again but Snake made no reply, his focus set on the garage. He unlocked the door, revealing the nearly blank room which held nothing but a desk and chair, a closed and dirty window the only other possible opening.

Snake let Lumi down roughly, the boy trying hard not to stumble on his feet.

"I-Is this it, Scale-Bait? Is this where you're gonna keep me?"

Snake said nothing but the gaze in his eyes…..

"Y-You're not even gonna give me a book ta read?" the boy said, trying everything he could as not to show weakness to the baddie "Even I didn't think you'd be this-!"

Lumi's words were cut off as Snake grabbed him around his throat, the scaly hands pressing hard against his neck. The boy could only let out chocked gurgles, struggled gasps as Snake held onto him, his fingers going in tighter and tighter, cutting into the soft pink skin.

"Thisssss issss what I like to sssssee….."

The grip only tightened, claws only went deeper and there was nothing Lumi could do to stop it.

The pain was immense, the boy feeling Snake's claws slowly making their way down into the surface of his skin, his mind only wondering and dreading the moment for the inevitable cut. He kept gasping for air but little came in, his lungs starting to burn and his throat attempting any sort of desperate call.

" _Heeee-! Heeeeelp!"_

Lumi's air was running out, his vision starting to blur but he knew Snake wasn't going to stop. This was all a game to him and he knew that if there were not 'glitch' to hold him back….

This was exactly what Snake-Oil wanted to do to all the racers.

"Yessssss, ssssstruggle." The creature laughed to himself, pressing harder "I wasssssn't trying hard enough with Candle-dunce. I wassss hoping that I'd at least break her sssssskull in. Jusssst to sssssse what would happen to her little mind without a ressssset."

As if Lumi didn't have enough reason to distrust the Snake; he was making it clear that he had hurt Candlehead on purpose but what was worse was that he didn't think he had gone far enough, that he didn't get the amount of enjoyment that he wanted.

"How clossssse can I get before a game over?" Snake snickered again, raising Lumi higher "I have no qualamsssss over kidssssss. My sssssstupid main issss a kid and watching him flail around bringsssss me endlessssss joy."

Why wasn't anyone coming? Why wasn't anyone stopping this?

Why didn't Vanellope care?

Snake's smile grew as he gripped Lumi tighter and tighter, pushing his own limits of how far he could go. The boy was turning purple, strangled chokes escaping his throat.

"Hehe, I'd rather watch Muttonfudge'sssss head pop….." the snake hissed "But I guess one usssslesssss placeholder isssss better than none."

The boss then began banging Lumi's body against the wall, the boy without air to cry out as his head hit the surface hard.

Wham!

WHAM!

 **WHAM!**

With each hit, the boy could see stars shooting in his eyes, only for them to clear up so he could once again see the face of the sneering baddie.

Why wasn't anyone helping?

Why wans't anyone doing anything?

He was being throttled.

He was being beaten.

He was being BULLIED.

And no one was there. Snake was being even rougher on the boy than he had been with Candlehead, as if he enjoyed the sick pleasure of seeing the smaller, defenseless 'racer' flail about, unable to cry out or fight back. Snake shoot him violently, the reptile sure he could hear the boy's teeth chattering in his skull but it didn't stop; he didn't want to stop. The grip around the boy's neck only loosened a tad but if only to keep the boss' hand from cramping up. He flung the boy about, pulling and twisting him terribly.

"Can you ssssstretch like Muttonflub?"

Lumi wanted to scream but his voice was still cut off, his arm going back in a painful manner only to be slammed into the wall one more time.

"HA!"

Snake threw the boy hard upon the ground like a rag, finally relinquishing his hold around his neck but it did not do anything to soothe the pain he felt. Air rushed into his lungs the boy feeling the life returning to him in a flash but all he could see was Snake looming over him, cackling and smiling.

"Thisssss issss a new day, BOY." The reptile said, hitting Lumi onec more with his massive tail "Thissss isssss how thingssss go in thissss arcade now."

All the green boy could do was breathe in with a rattling breath, rolling over to the side as he tasted the saltiness of the blood from his busted lips.

"No one caresssss who you are. No one ever will."

The boy tried to look angry, he tried to look mean but Snake's words were too powerful, his actions were too powerful. He grunted, gurgled, his eyes shutting as he could feel tears rolling down his eyes.

"Heheh, yesssss. Cry. That'ssss what I like to see." Snake went on "I'm not like thosssse other ssssofty bad-guyssss here. Me? I enjoy bein' bad. I enjoy reminding little welpsssss like you where you belong."

 _Dad._

 _Mom._

 _P-please, help me!_

 _Help me!_

 _HELP ME!_

"Don't think for a sssssecond I wouldn't wasssste a chance to end you. I'm jussssst being nice to Vanellope, keeping her calm by letting you sssstay."

The reptile chuckled to himself again.

"But I'm sssssure if I mention an 'ACCIDENT'-"

"SNAKE!"

Snake turned quickly to see a stout figure at the door, eyes showing clear in the darkness. Lumi managed to get onto his knees, hands pressed hard upon the ground as he was still having trouble breathing.

The figure moved closer into the light revealing himself as the rat.

The rat?

He had come back?

"What's goin' on here?" the smaller bad guy asked, peering over at Lumi before looking up at Snake, the larger baddie smiling as if nothing had occurred.

"I am jussssst ensssssuring that everything here isssss taken care of before the racessssss ssssstart."

Rat only had to take one look at the boy to know something had happened, something at the hands of his fellow 'comrad'. He gave the reptile a frown, hands going to his hips.

"Snake, it's too early for this."

"Yesssss, it isssss too early to deal with virusssssesssss." The boss said as he slithered towards the door, only to give Lumi a hard knock on his back and making the boy cry out once more "I am ssssssorry that I have to leave you to watch thissss welp. But you know. I have my own game to go to."

The gummie boy held onto the words, seeing Rat raise a brow as his leader stood at the door.

"Yeah….whatever. I'm just tryin' ta help out."

"And I thank you for that." Snake oozed, his tone more irritating than ever "Jusssst make ssssure that thissss one doesssssn't go anyplace he isssss not welcomed."

The rat hunched down a bit, the sides of his mouth twitching "I get it, Snake."

The door closed, leaving the two by themselves. The rat quickly turned, looking over at the boy as he continued to struggle for air, the sight of his injures nearly knocking him over.

"Holy-!"

The busted lip, the bruises on his face and neck. Lumi wasn't just in a scuffle; had been through a beat-down but he didn't say anything towards the rat, his head low and his body shaking. The rodent bad guy made the first move, quickly inspecting the boy to check the extent of his injuries.

"You okay, kid?" the stout bad guy panted "I-!"

What to do, what to do?

Rat turned pale around the fur as he looked down on the situation. Yeah, this was bad, this was very bad and oh what the entire arcade would say should anyone see the scene. The rat was quick on his feet however and sprung to action, running to the desk in the garage and hoping to find a first-aid kit.

"Here, lemme help ya!" the boss said, his actions showing that he seemed to have been through such incidents before "I can do some topical things for ya now, but we need ta get ya ta tha hospital or-!"

"W-Why do you care!?" Lumi managed to say, his voice hoarse as he gripped his neck "Wh-Why are ya actin' all nice all of a sudden?!"

The rat jolted back; he had expect Lumi to be mad, he had expected MANY people to be mad at him but to hear just how TERRIBLE Lumi sounded. Now he knew the extent of Snake's treatment towards him.

"Kid, please." The rat pleaded, trying to get Lumi to press a med-pack around his neck "I just wanna help, that's all."

"An' you're doin' a bang-up job on it!" Lumi screamed but only making his throat hurt worse. He smacked the rat's hand away and scrambled to the corner of the room, shaking and looking at the boss like a scared animal "Don't come near me!"

"Kid, you're hurt!"

"An-An' who hurt me!?" the boy said, his voice starting to squeak as he cried "Y-Y-Your stupid friend! He did this to me! He does this to everyone but Vanellope!"

The rat was at a loss for words, seeing how the boy had been reduced to a quivering pile of anger and fear in just a few moments of being left alone with Snake. But it was more than that; it wasn't Lumi's anger at Snake that bothered him the most, it was knowing that even with Snake's actions Lumi had considered him apart of the assault as well. No matter how much the rat wanted to help him, his intentions true and clear, Lumi would not break. Lumi would not let him near him.

Lumi hated him.

"Young man, listen." The rodent boss said, attempting all he could to remain calm but Lumi stayed in his place, huddled in the corner "I….You aren't….I'm not…."

The rat couldn't think of anything to say; what could he say in this situation? No matter how many times he told Lumi he wasn't going to hurt him the boy's trust had been shattered.

The rat sighed, putting a hand to his head; there was nothing else he could do. He gave one final look at Lumi, the boy's eyes hollow as his brows furrowed with pure bitterness and hatred. There was a chair near the table and rat took a seat.

It was his job to watch over the 'virus'….

And if there was something he was going to get right, it was that.

The room was silent but the sound of roaring engines could be heard just a few yards away outside. Lumi huddled again, not wanting the boss to see him sob to himself.

" _M-mom! Dad! Pl-please come back! Please come back!"_ he cried to himself " _Where are ya? Where's everyone?!"_


	29. Chapter Twenty Eight-Pull Over

Chapter Twenty Eight- Pull Over

So this was it.

This was how things were going to go.

The racers were all lined up in their marks, ready for the players to come but their hearts were still racing, minds worried about what other 'changes' they would face.

" _Pssst!"_

Taffyta's ears burned, looking over to Nougetsia who was next to her, Candlehead's place once again empty on the marks.

" _Taff!"_

" _Nougie, not now."_ The strawberry racer hissed back, her eyes darting back and forth to the clock that hung outside the screen, the massive thing ominous as its arms ticked loudly.

" _Where's Candlehead?"_

It had been days since the cake-themed girl had been on the tracks and if she hadn't shown up now-?

The strawberry racer's brows furrowed, trying everything to quell both her anger and her worry. She had to say something though, even though she too wondered where Candlehead had gotten off to.

" _She'll be back…."_ Taffyta responded to the older popsicle girl _"Just give her more time."_

" _At this rate, she's gonna wind up missin' like Vanellope did."_ Taffyta heard Gloyd growl behind her, in a snap feeling angry at the boy's comment but as she turned around, tongue ready to give him a sound lashing she too saw that he was upset.

The big pumpkin boy gripped the steering wheel, it being a matter to wonder who was angrier at the moment, he or Taffyta. Taffyta made a scan, seeing the collective looks of all of the racer around her. Ever since the 'news' that had dropped upon all of them, every single one of them were looking worse than before. From sadness to worry to anger, they had never looked so bad before.

Drained, colorless, drawn and tired; this is what Taffyta saw when she looked at her friends. They had looked bad before with the entire year they had spent under Snake's 'careful eye' but she had never seem them this bad before.

And then she looked down at herself.

And saw that she was the same.

The glitter on her dress was muddled, no longer shining the way that it had. The whites of her gloves were dingy but not from dirt or any other substance. She then looked into the mirror to see herself, the light cream of her hair faded and even her skin, usually so bright and sunny looked pale and sickly.

And that's when Vanellope rolled up.

The difference between the candy President and the others could not have been missed for a mile. It seemed that Vanellope had taken in all the energy, all the color as she rolled in with her hodge-podge of a kart, it beaming as bright as ever while everyone else?

It was as if they had become placeholders, their presence in the game fading to draw the eye to Vanellope and Vanellope only.

Silence greeted Vanellope, the girl feeling the pressure of the other racers around her but even if she could tell their eyes were giving her sideway glances…

None of them wanted to speak to her.

She was aware of how they had reacted when she gave them the news of the 'rules' she had made but she would be lying to herself if she could not admit she was scared by what she was seeing. There was a tiny part of her that had expected them to be upset but their reactions would be held back, not showing her the great vitriol that was boring in her skin like hot-pokers.

That tiny part of her was also telling her that what she had done was a massive mistake.

But would she listen to that part?

"W-Well…." The vanilla racer began, getting herself ready "Have a feelin' we're gonna have a full house!"

No reply.

"W-We're gonna be rushin', aren't we?"

Silence.

Taffyta wanted nothing more than to leap out of her kart and KICK the 'confusion' off of Vanellope's face, several times. How could anyone be so obtuse to what was going on, especially someone who gleefully rode the claim at how they were the 'greatest racer of all time'? Vanellope couldn't have been this stupid, couldn't have been this clueless to what she had brought upon herself and yet Taffyta knew it best to keep her words mum.

Just get it over with.

And then you can finally get away from the GLITCH.

"I hope thingsssss go ssssswimingly?"

The racers, Vanellope and Taffyta excluded, all jolted in their seats as they heard the greasy tone of their 'neighbor' slithering closer to them. Vanellope tried to muster up a smile but it felt that even her body was working against her.

"W-What was that, Snakey?"

"I hope your firssst place counter returnssss to normal, today." Snake cooed, patting Vanellope on the head as if she were an infant "Now that you have cleaned thingssss up, everything sssshall return to normal. Of coursssse, my boysssss will sssssee to it that nothing sssslips through the cracksssss."

Taffyta felt the anger rising again. It had to be some sort of collective gang-up in the arcade that someone like Snake could get away with so much without someone else giving so much as a care to the harm and damage he was doing to Sugar Rush. She wanted to know why no one was doing anything, even when Snake made his actions out in clear sight of others.

And Vanellope?

Of course she was taking it, the spoiled little trollop that she was. Not saying a word against someone who obviously wanted to hurt the racers. Taffyta knew it; Vanellope had and had always been an accident waiting to happen and there was no one in the arcade who gave a care to how far it was going to go.

Snake smirked at the other racers, enjoying the sight of seeing many of them duck down in fear in his presence but he didn't say anything this time, instead giving the group a smile and a wave before slithering off to his own game. Vanellope felt as if she were about to fall through the seat of her kart, something terribly wrong with the way she was feeling.

Now it was her heart that was racing, her breath that she could not keep. She felt as if she were on the urge of panicking, that she wanted to pull the seat belts off her and run screaming back to the castle she was so terrified.

DING DING!

But it was too late now.

The arcade had opened and the gamers flooded in, Sugar Rush of course being the first game to develop a que. The kids bickered back and forth over who got what turn and after a while, mostly thanks to Litwak stepping in to calm the wily bunch, the races had begun!

Vanellope!

Vs-

Gloyd!

The races began like any other only this time Vanellope found herself under the control of an inexperienced racer. She was being pulled back and forth, the glitch being used at the wrong time and instead landing her stuck between walls.

"Aurgh, NO!"

The other racers zoomed by, Taffyta taking a short glance back before putting her focus back on the road.

" _Where ya belong, Von Cheatz."_

Gloyd on the other hand was having a better time. Though he was not in first, his player was definitely better at handling the road than Vanellope's. He continued to let her control him and even if he were not the one fully in control over the race there was something wonderful coming over him.

It was just knowing that he had been picked.

The boy had done a well enough job of covering it up, but he too had been feeling horrible with Snake's words, the continued mantra of how none of the player liked him or wouldn't choose him when VANELLOPE was always there chewing through him like ants to a sugar factory. He may have gotten on the others' cases, telling them to stop their bellyaching in front of him but it was a feeling he shared with them all.

So to know that someone had wanted him, that someone was having fun with him?

It was the greatest feeling he could have.

He wouldn't abandon Sugar Rush for anything else in the world.

"C'mom, c'mon! Almost got it!" the boy heard his player, a little girl, growl. She gripped the wheel harder, pushed the gas down and before anyone had anticipated it-

 _ **VROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!**_

With a massive roar and a sharp turn, Gloyd had taken the lead!

"ALRIGHT!" the girl cheered, her own pumpkin hair-clippy dangling and bouncing happily "Show 'em what tha Pum'kin King is made of!"

Pum'Kin King.

It had been a long time since Gloyd had had this much fun.

"Hey, hold up chica!" laughed Vanellope's player, still having trouble getting out of her spot.

Vanellope had no control over herself, waiting for the player to do so but as she glitched and twitched, she heard laughing.

"PFFFFT-! HAHAHAHAHA!"

She turned back, expecting to see the laughing coming from the other players, expecting that they were bullying her player but instead what met her eyes…

"Betty, what's up?"

It was HER player who was laughing.

"I-! I can't-!" the girl called Betty continued to laugh "C'mon, get outta there!"

Betty was so humored by Vanellope's glitch-mistake that she had no time to be angry, given that Vanellope was positioned UPSIDE DOWN in her stuck condition but either way, Vanellope didn't know how to feel. Betty was laughing and soon a few other children began laughing as well but this wasn't a laughter Vanellope felt she was sharing.

It instead felt like she was being laughed AT.

It echoed loudly throughout the game, hitting every nook and cranny and bouncing off of the girl's ears. It wouldn't stop, reminding her of those terrible years under Turbo's rule, when the racers had all being his little bon-bons but now?

It was what Turbo had told Ralph a year ago was true.

That the players would think that something was wrong.

That they would hate her.

That they would laugh at her.

Even with the long list of winnings she had under her belt, being stuck in such a vulnerable position had paralyzed the girl. She felt trapped, weak, scared and humiliated as it felt as if the entire arcade were now mocking her.

"N-No!" she wept to herself "No! NO! NO STOP! STOP! STOOOOOP!

But it kept going.

They kept laughing.

They were laughing at her inability to drive.

They were laughing at her glitch.

They were laughing at her.

"Betty, hurry up and get going." Said another player "My turn is next so stop playing around."

"Okay, okay. I'm just having fun." Said Betty, finally figuring out how to get Vanellope unstuck "Ah! There we go."

Once more Vanellope felt the power of the player over her and she was back in the race though she was woefully in last place. She felt dizzy, sick to her stomach and wanting nothing to bail on the race but she couldn't at this point. Even if she was in last place she had to keep going to keep the game running.

After all, Ralph had almost DIED to get her here.

What type of person would she be to throw away what he had done for her?

A user, that's what.

Suddenly seeing Ralph's warm smile struck her like a bolt of lightning. There was power, there was energy and there was PURPOSE.

She wasn't just racing for herself.

She was racing for him as well.

And with that thought, she got back into the game, her mind suddenly feeling as if she had sent a surge through the kart right through the steering wheel of the player and something MUST have happened because 'Betty' had gotten back into the game.

"Dang, still far back!" the girl said as she looked at the glitch meter.

"Then use that!"

"Uh-uh, bad position, not enough juice…." The girl said, obviously knowing her stuff "Plus, too tight. I might end up stuck again."

Now it felt like a tandem, Vanellope and Betty racing along to capture the first place spot from Gloyd and outside the two girls were playing neck-and-neck.

"Not gonna take this one from me!"

"We'll see 'bout that!"

Vanellope passed up many of the stragglers but she needed to pass the first four before her.

Of course Gloyd was the one to beat…

But Rancis…

Snowanna…

And TAFFYTA.

Taffyta was in second place to Gloyd, her quick moves preventing her from skidding out against the player but Vanellope knew she was gunning HARD for a win.

"Let's show Muttonflub!" Vanellope growled to herself but in the back of her head…

Something didn't feel right.

She had heard Snake and others, even RALPH, called Taffyta Muttonflub to her back and even to her face a few times but when it rolled out of her mouth…

It felt so bitter.

It felt wrong.

She knew it wasn't right.

She knew she shouldn't have said that name.

Taffyta quickly looked back, seeing that Vanellope had caught back up with the crowd.

"With a glitch or with a player…" the strawberry racer said "The only way she can actually race by herself."

Taffyta hit the gas hard and accelerated, hitting the Seeker before her.

SWISS MISSILES!

A hot-chocolate canon appeared on Taffyta's kart and without waiting a heartbeat she began laying out the attack on the other racers. Rancis was hit, knocked back to fifth and Snowanna hit a blowout, out for the turn!

"Just one more…."

Vanellope knew that Taffyta was going to be saving the biggest, and most painful, attack for her, wishing she could signal to her player to use her glitch.

"Um, this could save me from a burnin' death, ya know kid!"

"THERE!"

The player hit the horn, allowing Vanellope to glitch in a split second but only just, the girl feeling the HOT chocolate melting the side of her door.

She then imagined the door….as her FACE.

"Yeah, Taffyta's mad. YUP."

Taffyta knew she had only one hit left, but the position wasn't good enough. She wouldn't be able to hit Vanellope the way she wanted.

"Darn it, not gonna waste it." The racer hissed to herself "I'll loose speed myself an'-!"

"WATCH OUT, GIRLS!"

The two girls looked ahead, Gloyd grinning at them in a way they knew trouble was coming.

SWEET SEEKER!

JELLO JAIL!

"Aw, crumbs." Gulped Vanellope.

"Dang it…" moaned Taffyta.

Now it was Gloyd's turn for a little power play.

The second that his kart had been equipped did Gloyd, or better yet his player, shoot out a massive jelly cube, the first hitting Taffyta and trapping her still in her spot in Jello-O.

"An' another bites tha Jell-O dust!" Gloyd cackled, taking his aim for Vanellope.

"Another glitch! I need another glitch!"

Gloyd shot at the girl, her player making the great timing of hitting the horn and glitching her out of the way but she had gone backwards, losing even more ground to Gloyd.

"Tha heck is she doin'!?" Vanellope said to herself, now feeling anger towards her player for making her lose place among the other racers. Gloyd continued to shoot, hitting Jubileena and Swizzle but his eyes were still set on Vanellope.

"Got on shot left." Gloyd's player snickered "An' I think this one has Vanellope's name aaaaaall over it!"

Indeed it did. Vanellope was starting to feel sick again from the overuse of her glitch, knowing that if she were to use it again she could return to that horrible spot that had befallen her only a week before and even then, what little power she had wouldn't take her far forwards or backwards.

From every angle of it, Gloyd had the race in the bag.

And he was about to let his player lay all over Vanellope.

The girl gulped, knowing that there was a lot of anger stored up in the boy, that he was always willing and ready to let someone have it once his lines had been crossed and given what the boy had to take for a YEAR under Vanellope's rule-?

This was going to be PAINFUL.

"Three, two, o-!"

 _ **WOOOO WOOOO WOOOOOO-!**_

The two racers looked, seeing what appeared to be police cars rushing down the lane.

"Duncy an' Wynch?" Gloyd said to himself as he tried to get a better look, Vanellope looking in her mirrors only to see-

"Wait, who are they?!"

The police vehicles rushed up the lane but they passed Vanellope and instead went up to Gloyd, boxing him in.

"What the-?!" cried the pumpkin player outside the game "Who tha heck are these guys?!"

Even Vanellope didn't know, only seeing the blur of them going past as Gloyd screamed for control to return to him.

"We're in tha middle of a race! What's happenin'?!"

"RACE VIOLATION!"

"What?!" the boy cried back at the unfamiliar voice.

These definitely were not doughnut cops; who were they?

"You can pass now, President!" said the other voice as it drove closer to the girl.

"But-!"

"You better go now or you'll lose the race!"

What was happening?

"Um, this is new…." Said Vanellope's player, her opponent going from confused to angry.

"They're-! They're ARRESTING Gloyd!"

Everyone moved in closer, seeing that Gloyd had indeed been pulled over and no matter what his player tried to do, she could not regain control over him. It was if everything stopped once Gloyd was PULLED out of his kart-

"OOF-!"

Which was indeed what had happened, the boy finding himself yanked from his kart in a violent fashion and thrown against a caramel tunnel perfectly out of view from the player.

"Where did he go?"

"S-Stop!" he growled, pushing back with his strength to free himself "What tha heck ya think you're doin' ya ditzy doughtnuts?! We have a race goin' on an' NOW of all times you're tryin' ta-?!"

"Shut up, Placeholder!"

Placeholder?

It couldn't have been.

Gloyd looked up, seeing the smirking mouths underneath the visors of their helmets. They weren't anyone from the game, instead turning out to be-!

Snake's flunkies.

"Figured you'd attract players as bad as you." Said the first, shoving Gloyd hard in the shoulder "What do ya think ya were doin'?"

"Tryin' ta win an' let my player, duh, PLAY ya morons!" the boy roared, only to get another push as he was sent down to the ground, the duo laughing.

"Not today, BOY."

"I guess your brain didn't hold in what the President said." Said the leader of the two, looking down at the fallen racer "There's some new rules. Best not break 'em, less YA wanna get broken instead!"

Gloyd could only look on in horror, coming to the realization of just what these new rules now meant.

Meanwhile Vanellope finally crossed the finish line, taking another first prize trophy but her escort had disappeared. What had happened? One moment the game was running as usual but the next?

Things go crazy once again.

The players were just as confused as she was, the lot of them asking each other what the game had thrown at them this time but given the line that was set up, there was no time for questions, the group INSNANTLY put back into formation as the next set of players were lined up.

But it only continued.

Whenever Vanellope was in play, whenever it looked as if she would lose her chance at a first place, they would show up. The new 'police' who would come in and stop anyone from gaining a lead and it didn't just stop at Gloyd.

Snowanna was pulled over when she got a Seeker they felt 'rightfully belonged' to Vanellope.

Citrusella was stopped when she had 'bumped Vanellope too hard in the back'.

Crumbellina nearly crashed then they boxed her in for 'needlessly blocking Vanellope's view.

And it went on.

And on.

And on.

AND ON.

For the entire day, anyone who played the other racers found themselves hounded in-game by this mysterious group but for the characters inside it was no secret. They knew they were Snake's cronies, the ones without homes and ones with plenty of time to spare hanging around Sugar Rush all day. But due to the game being so busy, no one had a chance to say or do anything about it, Vanellope included.

But that didn't mean that no one else saw what was going on.

Inside both Hero's Duty and Fix-it-Felix Jr., the crowds saw what was taking place…and they did not like it.

"Okay, this is goin' TOO FAR." Calhoun growled before shooting a Cybug in the face, knowing that because of her suspension she would be unable to do any investigating herself. Snake knew what he was doing, trapping her within her own home to watch as he made his way with Sugar Rush, almost as if he wanted to taunt the Marine for her powerless position.

"Damn it."

"Sarge?"

The woman turned, Markowski looking at her nervously "Um, everythin' alright?"

The loud drone of the Game Over horn called, another game lost as the player put the gun down. No one else was lined up so Calhoun found her chance, letting out a heavy sigh as she walked off screen.

"Need ta get outta here…"

"Scuse me, Sarge?"

"Marky, call up Mouse."

"Mouse? What do want with her?"

"Tell her she's getting' a special assignment, an outta-game one. She'll be excited for that, I know."

* * *

"What….did I just watch?" Ralph said, shaking his head from his demo-position, people walking past the game.

"I didn't think things could get so…heated in Sugar Rush." Felix gulped, he too standing in demo-position. Ralph growled, trying his best to hold up but just like Calhoun he wanted to rush out of the game and demand to know what was going on.

" _Those no-good-! Block-headed-!"_

He was having trouble finding the words, let alone keeping them low enough to keep the players from hearing.

"What do they think they're doin'!? They're-! It's almost like they're game-jumpin'! How could they treat those kids like-!"

Stop.

What was he thinking?

Ralph stopped his words from coming out, his brain taking note in how he had mentioned the KIDS rather than just VANELLOPE this time.

Something had hit given in previous incidents Ralph wouldn't have given any thought to what the other racers were being pushed into doing, not when he had Vanellope to worry about. In fact, shouldn't he have been CELEBRATING just how much Vanellope had won over the others this day? They were still hours away from closing and Vanellope had set a record, taking in all the wins for that day.

But Ralph knew it wasn't right.

No matter how much he tried to convince himself that this was what he wanted, that this was what Vanellope wanted and this is what the racers had DESERVED-

No, this still wasn't right.

Watching game by game, the others getting stopped by people he did not know, taking not only them out of the race but their players as well. This had gone beyond protecting Vanellope; now gamers were being affected.

But as angry as he felt, he still did not know why.

"Well….I know where I'm headin' once things are done."

The afternoon lull hit the arcade, the establishment emptying out just enough for the games to take a break but once Vanellope rolled up at the finish line again….

"Ho boy…."

The racers who were there meet her with a mixture of grief and annoyance, the song of her victory still playing in the background even as she pulled up.

This was not good.

"U-uh, hey guys!" the Vanilla racer meeped, the others saying nothing. From the crowd, Swizzle pushed his way through, looking worried.

"Where's Minty?"

"Minty?"

"I saw those guys bust her!" the boy said, looking around in such a frantic state that Vanellope only saw when…

Yeah, when something happened to "HER".

The vanilla racer quickly turned around, hunching down so no one would see the obvious and loud blush on her cheeks, the girl's mind playing every moment both he and Minty were together. It was embarrassing but it was only made worse given that she knew how much he cared for her, even with female racer's hard and curiously strong demeanor.

"I think I see her!" called Sticky, joining Swizzle as they heard a loud crunching sound coming up the lane.

 _ **SKRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRUUUUUUUUUUUUUNCH-!**_

"AAAURGH! Never mind! I HEAR HER!"

"WHAT?! DEER FUR?!" called Swizzle, holding his fingers in his ears "Since when did Minty wear that?!"

Everyone nearby was thrown into a fit of ear-ripping pain as Minty dragged her kart down the final stretch of the course, her strength aiding her in lurching the heavy monstrosity behind her. Swizzle managed to take one look…

And he knew he was going to be in for an ear-full, at least even more than what he was already being subjected to.

Stomp, stomp, STOMP, Minty marched her way to the finish line but aside from the look of fury on her face, something anyone with half a pixel in their skull would know to avoid, what shocked everyone the most was that all four wheels on the girl's kart were missing.

"I guess that explains the noise…" Rancis shuddered, his fingers digging into his ears.

"Don't….even ask." Growled the girl.

"She'll begin blasting in three, two, one…." Counted Snowanna.

" _ **MUTHER-BLUBBERS STOPPED ME IN THA MIDDLE OF A RACE AN' TOOK MY WHEELS SO I COULDN'T GO ANYWHERE FART BRAIN DRAIN BREATH SCUM BUCKET BURNT CRISPED-!"**_

"Yeah, there we go."

"They took your wheels?!" Gasped Swizzle as he ran towards the girl, Minty letting her kart drop like a rock on the ground "Why-?!"

"Their words? I was goin' too fast or some bulls-eyes."

"Too fast? For what?!" shouted Taffyta "They do know this is a racing game, right?"

Minty noticed Vanellope not too far away, her face going even sourer than it already was.

This wasn't going to be good.

"What's up with this, Von Schweetz?"

Vanellope stammered, glitching wildly as Minty stomped over towards her, looking and feeling even larger than Ralph.

"Hey, hey, hey! What are ya gettin' all upset at me for?!"

"This part of your new rules or somethin'?" the minty girl continued, crossing her arms against her chest "I thought tha worst of it would be those butt-buddies of yours followin' us around even more than they normally do. Didn't think ya had that much faith in us ya don't think we can even race without 'em tailin' us."

Vanellope's brows furrowed as she tried to stand up to the girl but she knew to keep a slight distance away, knowing that the power Minty held in her curiously strong hands could break a jawbreaker Ralph struggled with.

"Look, I made those rules for a reason-!"

"What reason? To seal even more wins in your favor?"

Vanellope looked over, Taffyta making her stance as the other racers lined up behind her as if to once again show just how things were weighted against the Vanilla 'leader'.

"It was one thing to mock our driving…." The strawberry racer began "It was one thing to tell us we're cheating over and over again but really, Von Cheatz. You'll go THIS far to keep all tha wins to yourself?"

Vanellope was turning red in anger, her bile held down at Taffyta's snarky tone and attitude. She was surprised that the pink racer was acting as calm as she was, expecting her to go into full tantrum mode but somehow, she had managed to keep herself about, looking down upon Vanellope with such a vindictive glare.

It wasn't going to stop anytime soon.

The vanilla racer found herself unable to respond as she wanted to, the eyes of the other racers upon them and as she remembered how the first half of the day had gone it wasn't as if they had no reason to be angry. Throughout the entire day, something had happened to them all. Whenever a race looked like it would be in their hands, one of Snake's partners would roll up, doing something to pull them back, to allow Vanellope to take the prize instead and it wasn't as if they were stopped and that was it.

Just as shown with Minty's kart, their vehicles were messed with and an excuse given, ones that contradicted every reason for their being and why they were meant to race.

But it was something they now HAD to follow given as Vanellope was the one who put it to law.

She had her hands in this as well, no matter how much she tried to deny it or play it off.

But there was no way she was going to return to that state again, not after everything she had gotten to.

"Don't tell me you're jealous, Muttonfudge." Vanellope tried to play back, the back part of her brain cursing what she had just said "I mean, if you can't keep up with the glitch then-!"

"If I were JEALOUS…." Taffyta began, her voice calm but not at all sweet "I wouldn't be the one pulling out all stops to prevent the rest of us from winning."

Vanellope went silent, looking right at the girl.

"You can say whatever you want about the rest of us, Von Cheatz…." Taffyta continued "But you know what? Even when Turbo was here, we raced with our own talents, our own skills, our own drive. Not once did any of us need to use some an unfair advantage to prove ourselves, to brag about how we're the best racer ever."

Vanellope could feel her throat tightening, wanting to glitch and knock the girl to the ground but part of her knew….

Part of her felt…

She was right….

"No, I'm not jealous of you, Von Cheatz." Taffyta continued, her voice coming out in a growl "Why should I be jealous of a little snot who can't do a single thing by herself or has the worst people in the arcade to call friends."

Vanellope snapped to, instantly thinking of Ralph at the moment "Take that back! My friends-!"

"Have hurt us." Taffyta interrupted, pushing Vanellope back "They've mocked us, they've pushed us, they've beat us up. And you've done nothing, LEADER."

The eyes of the other racers narrowed at Vanellope, the darkness surrounding them looking as if it were growing.

"And this is just more proof."

"O-Of what?"

"You're not different than Turbo." Taffyta snarled "The only thing you've ever wanted is to have your fun at someone else's expense. You both did!"

"I-! I'm not like Turbo!" Vanellope shrieked, getting angrier and angrier at the accusations "An-! An' what room ya gotta say I'm like him! At least I didn't follow up, Tur-Brat!"

Taffyta pretended to yawn "And yet you did nothing to stop him either. Stop acting like you knew the whole time and gave a care about us. All you did was wanted to get your ugly karts across the finish line."

"An' why should I have cared about ya back then?! All ya did was bully me!"

"And why should we care about you NOW?! All you do is bully US!"

There was silence between the girls, neither of them going to let the other win but Rancis stepped forward, taking Taffyta's hand gently and pulling her back.

"Luv."

The girl shot him a sharp glare, Rancis sweating a tad but he gripped her hand harder.

"No. We still have races. The day isn't over yet."

"I guess you're right." Taffyta said, pulling back as she straighten up her hat "I mean, unless that's what Miss President wants."

"If you're talkin' 'bout the guys, that's all up ta ya." Vanellope snorted back "Just don't do anythin' stupid an' they won't mess with ya."

"My, myyyyyy Von Cheatz." Taffyta retorted back "Sounds like something someone would say ta ignore the bully kicking 'em. What a great leader you are."

" _You'd know about bullyin'…."_ Vanellope muttered under her breath as the others prepared themselves for the next race but as she left the group on their own, she couldn't help but wonder what was going on herself.

The racers may have acted as if she were in on it but had they known everything, they would have realized that Vanellope was just as clueless as they were and just as upset. Vanellope knew what she had told Snake, what she had told them and the nexus for the rules she put out.

She had hoped that in doing so she could keep her friends safe, that she could keep Ralph safe but everything that had happened in the previous line of races? It had come out left field, it was all things that she had never once considered in her wildest dreams.

Pulling over racers?

Dismantling their karts while in-game?

Telling them how fast or slow they could go?

This wasn't part of her plans.

This wasn't even near close to anything she wanted…but it was what she had gotten.

And she knew very well who had done it.

"I gotta find him…." Vanellope said, knowing she was going a slim chance given that they were still on the clock and people could come to the game at any moment "This is gettin' crazy an'-!"

"Pressssident!"

Vanellope let out a shout as she came to a halt, nearly toppling over on the ground and as she looked up-

There he was.

"Why are you not getting ready to racccce?"

It was the mid-day lull after all, so it was no surprised that Snake would leave his game to check upon Vanellope but in that moment, seeing his face beaming down at her Vanellope locked up, feeling embarrassed to even be seen by him.

"Ah…ehehe, h-hiya, Snakey."

"Ooooh, wha a day it hasssss been!" Snake said in a rather cheerful manner, picking Vanellope up by his tail and putting her down "Your wining sssstreak is fantassssitc!"

"Um, Snake?"

"I've never been prouder of you, Presssssident! Ssssseeing you sssssmoke those PLACEHOLDERSssss? Ha! I or the resssst of the bad guysssss around here couldn't assssk for anything better!"

Bad guys?

Why was Snake lumping in all bad guys into this?

The snake chuckled to himself, making it feel as if he had no idea what was really happening once the races began "Hopefully it sssshall carry on like thisssss. The raccccessss are going to be more exciting than-!"

"Snake, pull it back a bit."

The big baddie looked down, Vanellope giving him a cross look.

"Missss Pressssident?"

"What is goin' on?" Vanellope sighed, tapping her foot on the ground "I know we talked about makin' sure that no one would get hurt 'round here but what tha ho-ho was up with that?"

"With what, Pressssident?"

"Oh, c'mon, don't act as if ya don't know!" Vanellope moaned, rolling her eyes "THa whole thing with your buddies comin' up in tha races ta slow us down! What was all'a this about?!"

"Oh, yes." Snake said, still smiling with a proud look about his face "You ssssee, Presssident-!"

"Just….just, Vanellope. Okay?"

"Presssssident Vanellope…." Snake went on "I knew that we couldn't trusssst thossssse worthlessssss Placeholdersssss even with the new rulessss that we ssssset up ssssso a few of usssss decided to go an extra sssstep to keep an eye on them during the racesssss."

"We have cameras for that." Vanellope said, arching a brow "An'….an' why would ya send those guys on tha tracks durin' an in-game session? Ya know how dangerous that is!"

"Consssssider thossssse who volunteered to be a bit rougher and tougher."

ROUGH was a good way of putting it.

"They can manage." Snake went on "And more importantly, it givessss them ssssomething to do."

Vanellope froze, her skin prickling over with goose-bumps "Somethin' ta do?"

Snake looked down sadly, putting a hand under his chin as he peered away from the young canyd girl "Yessss, it issss sssso sssssad. They don't have anywhere elsssse to go right now. I mean, the effortssss that you and Ralph have done for bad guyssss like usssss have been grand but-"

Now Vanellope was starting to feel nervous, remembering that there were still a lot of bad guys in the arcade who had not benefited from the fruits that either character had gained since the take down in Sugar Rush a year ago.

"We all need to feel like we have a place." Snake hissed, his voice so calm and smooth but as Vanellope looked up she could see the sadness on his face.

A 'sadness' that didn't sit right with her.

"Huh. All good n' plenty." The girl said, putting her hands to her side, regaining herself "But don't ya think this is kinda much? 'Specially when ya look into how they could get hurt an' then? Well, ya know."

"If anyone sssshould get hurt, I can only guessss it would be because of thosssse rotten Placeholderssss…" Snake hissed again, letting out a huff "They did put up quite the fight when they were pulled over-"

"An' that's because no one is supposed to be pulled over, 'specially durin' gameplay!" Vanellope broke in, her feet tapping once more "Snake, I know what I said an' what I wanted an' this ain' it! It's dangerous!"

"But what about your winssss, Pressssident?"

"I can earn those on my own!" Vanellope shouted, going in much stronger than she had anticipated, mostly due to what she remembered Tffyta had said about her skills "I don't need help winnin'! I can do things on my own!"

"I am aware of that." Snake answered "But don't you want to help bad guyssss?"

"Y-yes, yeah! I do!" Vanellope said, her voice starting to crack "But-!"

"But what would they do without thissss opportunity? They'd have no other place to be themsssslvessss! To help out the greater arcade!"

"Th-there are better ways to-!"

"Pressssident, I know it issss none of my bussssinesss…." Snake said, dropping down and putting an arm around the girl "But pleassse undersssstand. My friendssss and myssself? We jusssst want to feel the love and adoration that you have. To know that you have come through ssssso much, Ralph included, we jusssst want to ssssshow our worth."

Vanellope felt as if her stomach was sinking, Snake's words going through her ears and straight to her code. She knew what she and Ralph had done for bad guys and what she wanted to continue to do but as Snake was putting it, had she done enough? Had she shown enough love for bad guys, extended her hands to those in need? And were her gripes towards Snake, the one who had given her so much in the past year, wrong as well?

He always said he wanted the best for her and Ralph.

But there were times that even she thought he was going too far.

And the way Calhoun and Felix had addressed some of the issues as well.

But-!

But….

"Vanellope…" Snake went on, his voice lulling the girl closer into his hold "Your sssstory issss sssso tragic, the thingssss that people have done to you. The way thosssse otherssss have treated you."

Those others?

Perhaps a softer term for Placeholder in this case.

"I'm jusssst ssssetting thingsssss right." The Snake said, his voice filled with what sounded like passion to protect his 'friend' "I may be jusssst one bad guy but I want to do sssssomething for thissss arcade that ssssshowssss that I can be asssss good assss any hero. That I can protect thosssse who need it the mosssst."

"That's…that's all good, Snakey…." Vanellope breathed out, not sure what this strange feeling was coming over her as her head felt like it were spinning "B-but-"

"You wouldn't want anything to happen to usssss?" the Snake asked "I mean, I would never allow the ssssame to happen to you. That'ssss why I've done so much for you. That'sssss why my friendssss have done so much assss well, even though they do know the rissssk they put themsssselves in by going in game and acting like thisssss."

Vanellope was really in a bind now. While on one hand she knew what Snake had done was dangerous and not at all what she had planned in the slightest, she felt like she still owed him. After all, he had done so much for her and with his other homeless buddies picking up the work too?

If people were to find out she had kicked them out, what would they say?

They wouldn't view Vanellope as the misfit who rose to power.

They would see her just like all those other people who hated bad guys.

She didn't want to be that person.

She wanted to be more.

She knew she had to be more.

But there was something still wrong, something that didn't sit well with her.

In all the time she and Snake had been in each other's company she had noticed the way the game was starting to fade around her, how the other racers who had once made their own promise to treat her better had all but faded from sight. She, as well as Ralph, had told herself that the racers had just gone back to 'their old ways', that they had always been programmed to be bullies while she on the other hand?

She was Vanellope Von Schweetz.

She was special.

She was different.

Everyone else was below her.

That's what Snake had said.

But maybe things weren't like this and it had slowly come to Vanellope in ways that she did not like.

Lumi.

That boy.

He was making the racers act in ways she had never seen or experienced whenever she was around, and in those cases it was HAPPINESS.

The racers were starting to show happiness again.

But she couldn't take credit for it.

She couldn't take credit in any of the discoveries that had popped up.

Sure, Lumi had some hands in it, the boy running his mouth about the this and that of whatever the missing stories and sections of the game were but if anyone were to be the ones with credit to the discoveries?

It was the racers themselves.

They were the ones who did it, each time as Vanellope had remembered. They were the ones who had gotten their hands dirty, who followed their gut feelings that something had been off, that something had been wrong and in the end a part of them had been repaired, returned to the game as it should have been proper. Vanellope had nothing to do with it, she could not take credit and maybe that was part of the reason why she was feeling so bad.

Was she feeling her own set of jealously?

After nearly an entire year of others praising her for the tiniest thing, seeing the other racers celebrating something so large, something that she had no clue about….

Yes, it was getting to her.

But deep down she knew it was wrong.

Not that the racers had things she did not. That she was even feeling this way just by seeing them smile and celebrate with each other.

But Snake on the other hand?

"Pressssident, give us a chance. We are doing thissss to make Sssssugar Russsh the mossst sssssuccessssful game here."

"I-It's nice ta know that we're popular…." Vanellope said, her voice quieter "But c'mon. This arcade is like one big neighborhood. I don't want anyone else ta feel-!"

She stopped, finding the words hard to get out of her chest, Snake beaming down at her.

"Just…just be careful." She said, her voice rattling in nervousness "Some of tha guys are getting' too close an' soon? A player might get too suspicious."

 _Squeeeak_

Snake felt his scales curl at the sound, looking over to see something in yellow quickly turn around the corner. He scowled, seeing the glittering butter-colored figure duck but the anger he had quickly turned back to smiles as he looked upon Vanellope.

"Do not worry about a thing, Pressssident." Snake said "I'll inform my boyssss to keep is careful thissss time."

"Th-thanks, Snakey." Vanellope said, a small smile forming on her face "An' I appreciate what you're doin'. Just…."

"Yesssss?"

"Just….just tone it down."

Not too far away the butter-colored person ducked to her knees.

Torvald.

She rushed to the others, hoping she had managed to get away before Snake spied her.

"Guys!"

"What is it now, Tori?" Minty grumped to her youngest sister, both she and Swizzle trying to repair her kart.

"S-Snake!" the girl panted "It was all Snake's idea!"

"For what?"

"Tha cops!" the youngest of the Mint trio shouted, catching her breath "It was all a set up! Vanellope had nothin' ta do with tha whole thing! Snake was the one who sent his goons after us!"

The group of racers let out a gasp, talking amongst themselves in worry.

"Well, that should come to no surprise at all." Moaned Rancis, putting a hand to his chest "I'm just glad that Vanellope wouldn't have gone so far to agree to such a thing."

"Don't lay her out as if she's innocent, Rancy." Taffyta growled, the other kids turning their attention towards her.

"Taffyta, cut her some slack."

"We've cut Vanellope some slack for a year and see where that's gotten us." Taffyta snarled back "Branded as cheaters, blacklisted out of some games, and if this were the case she cudda put a stop to it!"

"But Taffyta-!"

"Tell me Tori." The strawberry racer said, focusing her attention on the youngest triplet "From what you were able to get, did Von Cheatz actually tell Snake to stop?"

Torvald blushed, her eyes widening and in such a way that the others could tell the answer just from her movements.

No.

No, she had not.

"It doesn't feel like she's in control…." Torvald said sadly, her head hanging down "I know I was angry at Vanellope before because of all the things she said, how she kept letting people in who hate us."

"So?"

"But when she was talking with Snake…." The butter-themed racer went on "She seemed scared."

"And I should give a care WHY?" Taffyta replied callously.

Rancis scowled, stepping in front of the pink girl "Taffyta, have a heart for once!"

"I DO have a heart." Taffyta said "And I've already had it broken enough times to count so SORR-REE that I'm not ready to hand it out to someone I know who doesn't care about us!"

"That's just it, Taff!" Torvald shouted "I got this feeling. This bad, bad feeling that maybe Vanellope isn't making all the choices around here."

"So on top of being a crumby racer, she can't even run her own kingdom?" the strawberry racer scoffed, rolling her eyes "Figures. And of course she'd try to act that us being able to take care of ourselves while she can't is OUR fault and we should feel bad for her failures."

Torvald felt that no matter what she would say, Taffyta wouldn't listen. She remembered how Taffyta had acted in the past, even when Turbo was in charge, but this was a new side she had never seen from her before. Even at her sharpest, Taffyta had never being this cruel, never been this hateful even towards Vanellope but given how she had been treated, the way she had been humiliated and hurt…

Taffyta felt no one deserved her sympathy anymore nor her actions.

For over a year she had heard nothing but Vanellope's struggles, how the girl had risen up against everything but from her point of view things were quite different. As of late, Vanellope's 'rise' had only come at the expense of others, people being forced to drop what made them THEM and what they loved all for the sake of making Vanellope feel special and important. Like the others she was ready and willing to make up for lost time but as that time had gone on she watched as the racers and various others had been pushed back and pushed down, all for the sake of making Vanellope feel more important than she deserved.

And it wasn't just her humiliation that had done it for her.

When Snake had injured Candlehead so badly, when she watched her friend get hurt in the massive crowd and no one had done anything to help, to hear Snake cackle and laugh as the girl lay bleeding that was when Taffyta knew.

Nothing in Litwak's had changed, at least the way others had made it out.

Turbo was gone but another horrible leader had taken his place.

Vanellope Von Schweetz.

Taffyta was more determined than ever to out Vanellope as the, as she believed, sole reason so much was still wrong with Sugar Rush. What other reason could it be especially with Vanellope's weird behavior whenever the group found something. A caring leader wouldn't have been so antsy, so nervous whenever it was revealed that the other racers found a part of their home, a part of their history.

But it had happened every time, Vanellope slunking in the back and making everything so awkward and weird.

Taffyta had convinced herself she had only done so to draw more attention to herself, taking the focus off what was needed and to make it out as if somehow the appearance of something that didn't belong to her was somehow wrong. That's what made Taffyta so mad, knowing that she and the others could not even enjoy their own things without Vanellope turning it into a show for herself.

"Been there, done that…." The girl growled, another 'infamous' racer coming to her mind once more.

"Guys, please." Swizzle said, shaking his head as he continued to work on Minty's kart "We still have a long way to go before the day ends. I need all the brain cells I can save up."

If things were grey on the tracks they were even worse elsewhere, Rat still in charge of watching the injured Lumi. Throughout the entire ordeal, the busted boy had walled himself up in the corner, Rat far too nervous to approach him once more, not after what he had been told by both his 'boss' and the boy himself. Every so often he'd look over, seeing the boy shivering or sniffing to himself but all urges to help were kept back and not because Rat didn't want to.

Rat knew he SHOULD do something but like Vanellope he felt horribly conflicted, unsure where his trust and loyalty was now aligned with.

Should he follow Snake? After all, Snake was the reason he was living it up as well as he was but he did not agree with how the reptile boss had been going about, the way he had been treating not just the racers but several others throughout the entire arcade. He could recall the pain that he often felt when he was pushed aside, when he was looked at in fear for his role but this was something he never dreamed of or wanted because as he was sitting with Lumi he realized something.

There was still so much fear.

The racers were still terrified of him and in their terror he was still a bad guy but anytime he tried to explain this to Snake, his words were hushed, his concerns shoved off into the corner.

This was wrong. Everything was wrong.

And as strong as he was, he felt helpless to stop it.

 _*knock knock knock!*_

Rat looked over, his ears perking up "H'lo?"

" _C-Can I come in?"_

The baddie's brain was trying to remember whose voice he heard, rushing over to the door only to find Candlehead standing worried on the other side.

"OH-!" he gasped, his mind slipping from him "Hey-! Um….young…lady!"

Candlehead looked just as worn as the other racers but before her was held a brightly colored basket, filled with sweets and other treats. Rat looked at the object before him curiously, left to wonder what exactly he was looking at.

"Errr…"

"I…I brought this in case ya guys were hungry." The little racer meeped, almost as if she were ashamed to be seen with the baddie "I didn't know if Mr. Snake-Oil made ya a lunch so…I-I just wanted ta do somethin' right for a change."

The rodent felt as if someone had clutched his heart, the pit of his stomach twisting into knots. Even after the way Snake had treated her he was certain that the girl would have a hatred for all bad guys but despite that, despite what had been done to her she had actually found the time to make snacks for him and the wayward racer.

Now knowing what Snake had done to Lumi only made the baddie feel worse.

"I-I'm allowed ta see Lumi, right?" Candlehead asked, making little peeks into the room, Rat still blocking the way with his body.

This wasn't right. He couldn't do this to the kids no matter what Snake had told him.

If there was one good thing he was going to do that day….

"Kid." Rat said, stooping down just a tad to look Candlehead in her eyes "Take him."

Candlehead moved back a bit, nervous "W-Who?"

"That boy." Rat said, pointing to Lumi in the corner "Please! He needs help!"

"Needs help? What happened?"

"Please! Take him to a hospital! He's hurt!"

Candlehead looked terrified, Rat seeing her eyes widen before him before she rushed in, the girl letting out a gasp and a scream once she got a full view of Lumi, Rat's inner pixels crumbling even more.

This was the game that Snake was making.

And no matter how much he tried to deny it, his hands were in the mess as well.

"Lumi!" Candlehead shouted, tears once again going down her cheeks "What-?! WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?!"

Lumi was still in a lot of pain, his head hunched down but Candlehead could see it all; the cuts, the bruises and especially the marks around his neck. They were far too big to be that of the rat which could mean only one thing.

"Please, get him some help!"

Candlehead huddled in fear once she saw Rat approaching her, convinced that he too would do the same to her as Snake had done to Lumi but to her surprise, the Rat lifted her up, putting her back on her feet.

"I don't want Snake ta find ya here!" he pleaded again "Just get out before he comes back!"

The girl blinked, holding up Lumi as best she could "But…?"

Rat blinked, wondering why the girl was stalling.

"Wh-what about ya?" she panted "What if Mr. Snake-Oil finds out ya-?"

"Don't worry 'bout me." The rat interrupted, gently pushing the kids out of the door "I'm a big boy an' I know I can take care'a myself with tha big doof!"

Candlehead wasn't so sure, giving the rat one last look. He smiled at her, looking as if he were filled with so much confidence but had she known she would have realized that he was as terrified as SHE was. Without another word, and hearing Lumi moan in pain again, Candlehead took off and looked back not once towards the baddie and the little room. Once the two were out of sight, Rat breathed out, his puffed-out chest sinking down into his gut.

"Please, get there okay."

* * *

The players started to come in again, the racers going to their marks though unaware their players' eyes were not the only ones on them.

"So what do ya want us ta do this time, Snakey?" asked one of the down-time baddies "We did all we could during the last round. I'm not sure we can keep it up before the players get wise on it."

"That's not the point." Snake whispered to his cohort "And bessssidessss. If they sssstop putting quarterssss in, we can alwayssss come up with sssssomething new. The whole point isssss to keep that cavity ssssated for the moment. Sssso long assss ssssshe'ssss comfrortable, sssso are our livesssss."

"But what about those kids?"

Snake growled, spying one in particular as she entered her kart, the reptile scowling as she adjusted the butter-colored bow atop her helmet.

"They're a sssstubborn bunch." Snake hissed as a devious smile curled upon his lips "But like any cheap piece of candy, they're easssssy to break."


	30. Chapter Twenty Nine-Broken

Chapter Twenty Nine-Broken

And after it was all said and done, the races were over.

The final game was over, Vanellope once again taking the first place cup but for those who had been witnessing the races they knew it had only been gained due to outside means. No one even joined Vanellope at the winner's circle, the racer standing alone at the first place podium as the music continued around her.

And that may have been because nearly all the racers had been held back in some way or another.

She sweated, knowing that any second the others would be coming around the bend, their glares aimed at her. She wanted to escape, to leave as soon as possible before that happened but the last lag of players were still in the arcade and she couldn't move.

This was going to be bad.

"Man, this stinks." Said one of the players, shaking their head "I know Sugar Rushy is always weird but…."

"Yeah?"

"Was I doin' somethin' wrong?" the kid asked, rubbing the back of his head "I was pulled over for some reason. I don't remember that in the game."

"Yeah, me neither. An' the funny thing is? It only happened when I played everyone else. Vanellope wasn't stopped."

The girl twitched and glitched; they players HAD noticed and from the sounds of many, they were not happy and why would they have been? They had arrived to the arcade, ready to play their favorite racer only to find out that no matter what they did, no matter how they drove, the one they chose was not allowed to race. And it wasn't as if there was some challenge in it, as if it were something that the players could avoid.

They couldn't avoid these new 'assets' to the game no matter how hard they tried to fight them off. Vanellope had witnessed it from her vantage point, seeing players go so far as to try shooting back the new 'guards' with Seekers but they would always wind up in the same position.

Stopped.

Pulled over.

Control removed.

Race over.

And Vanellope would always be the victor in each and every game, the other racers who were free to race on their own also held back if it even looked as if they were going to snag that first place trophy.

But perhaps this was a good thing?

After all, even if the other racers had their handicapped place, Vanellope was still free.

Perhaps…

But the results spoke differently.

The que had started to die down, the racers finding that the more frustrated players became the less lined up. Only so many wanted to play as Vanellope even with her glitch powers and as popular as many had said she was.

 _This stinks._

 _I can't do my ice attacks with Adora-Baby anymore._

 _Why can't I play as Rancis?_

 _Where's Candlehead?_

 _I wanted to play as Swizzle but the game doesn't seem to work with him._

 _This game is getting boring._

 _Playing as Vanellope is getting BORING._

BORING?

 **BORING.**

When Vanellope heard those words from the player's mouth she almost glitched through the podium.

Boring.

They thought she was BORING.

She had been struck, numb and wordless and unable to answer back to the kid as he walked past the game. Never had Vanellope been called BORING before. Perhaps she had called the others boring, mostly as an egg to mock their lack of power against her but to know that a player found her boring, to see the look of annoyance on their face towards her.

No.

This couldn't be happening.

She was Vanellope Von Schweetz!

Greatest racer in the game!

Greatest race in the arcade!

"I hope the game is back to normal tomorrow. I want to play as someone I want. Not just Vanellope."

Greatest?

The slow deflate was happening to her ego.

Her eyes started to well up with tears, not sure how to take the words but as she looked to the side.

Brrrrrooooooom-!

"O-oh, no!"

The others finally made their way around the bend, the players all gone as they finally made their marks, the point lost for Taffyta and Rancis to even take second and third. Vanellope could only dread what was coming her way but she looked up again, seeing and hearing the 'escort' of special ops arriving as well.

"Well, that was a good haul." Said one of them, the others agreeing.

Taffyta gripped onto her steering wheel " _Wish you wudda crashed and game-overed, creeps."_

"How wasssss everything?"

The racers looked over, Snake and more of his buddies arriving at the track. Vanellope was frozen in place, her lips flapping like a fish.

"Wonderful final win, Pressssident." Snake chuckled to himself as he slithered closer to the girl "I may not have had a front row sssseat but from my game, I could feel the excitement."

" _What ya need ta feel is a boot up your butt."_ Grumbled Minty, Torvald shushing her.

"And how did everything elssssse go?"

"Wh-what do ya mean?" stammered the vanilla racer as she hopped of the podium, almost stumbling as she did so.

"With our new ssssstyem at hand, it appearssssss that any trouble on the tracksssss hasssss now been ssssquashed!"

Snake's crew chuckled at their leader's words, a few of them glancing over threateningly at the racers. Vanellope looked at how her game-mates responded, suddenly realizing that in the mess of everything she had to say something.

"Snake, look."

"Yessss, Pressssident?"

"I think ya guys went too far."

A few of the racers looked up, a few of Snake's crew looked up; was Vanellope actually going to take a stand on this one?

"What do you mean?"

"Snake, I don't think you've gotten the full point of Sugar Rush." Vanellope began, putting her trophy behind her "We're SUPPOSED to be rough. We're SUPPOSED to be tough. Gettin' knocked back an' forth is part of the fun."

"Oh, I know." Snake nodded with a smile "But part of the fun issss alsssso knowing you're sssssafe from certain elementssss that would CHEAT."

"I'd be able to spy a cheater with my eyes closed."

" _Then why don't you look at yourself?"_

Vanellope heard that.

Taffyta did a good enough job keeping Snake and his crew from hearing her but she had said it just loud enough for Vanellope to catch ear of it…and she did not look happy.

Either way, Vanellope knew she had to ignore Taffyta for the time being, hoping to find a way to finally fix things on her own.

"Pressssident, we talked about thissss before." Snake went on "We only want what's besssst for you."

"I'm not tha only racer in this game, ya know."

"But you are the sssstar! The only one who matt-!"

"Snake, listen!" Vanellope cut in "Players are catchin' wind! They're startin' ta notice an' they ain't havin' fun!"

"Oh?"

"Maybe ya didn't see it but players come ta Sugar Rush because there are so many of us ta pick from!" Vanellope went on, hearing a few grumbles and seeing a few rolled eyes "This isn't just a single player game! It's a game with tons of characters for tons of kids ta pick from! An'-! An'-!"

The others looked over, wondering just what Vanellope was going to say.

Was she finally going to stand up for them?

"It's not fair if I'm tha only one who gets ta have fun an' do stuff." The girl said "Everyone who picked someone else couldn't even race, they were always getting pulled over for stupid stuff!"

"Perhapssss at first glance, but it was all done for your safety!"

"I can take the hits, Snakey! I like the hits!"

"But what is it worth if you losssse?"

"I've lost tons of races before. I've come dead last tons of times….." Vanellope glared back "I…I can handle a few more."

Snake looked at the girl calmly but from her observations of his followers, Vanellope saw that the others weren't quite as respective of her words. She could only wonder what they were all thinking but from the way she noticed how they stalled, she knew they were only going to make the move when Snake signaled them to.

It was all a matter of who would move first.

"I understand." Snake said "And perhapsssss we did go a little too far."

"But Boss-!" sputtered Baston, Snake holding up a hand to his face.

"But you have to underssssstand, Pressssident."

"I'm listenin'."

"We jussssst don't want a repeat of what happened when Turbo came in and-!"

"You don't want a repeat?"

Everyone looked over, Taffyta gracefully flipping out of her kart, looking steely eyed at Snake.

"Ya know, considering everyone already tells me I was Turbo's lapdog, maybe I should give you a bit of insight."

Vanellope suddenly felt a shiver, rushing over to Taffyta and pulled her back "Nuh-uh, NOT NOW!"

"Back of, Von Schweetz!" the girl roared, ripping her arm away from Vanellope "You've danced around this stuff long enough!"

"And what every do you have to add, Muttonflub?" Snake said in a curtly manner.

"Ya go on and on about Turbo and how we're connected to him but you know something? If I didn't know any better, you and you're crew are becoming Turbo 2.0!"

"And why would you sssssay THAT?"

"Turbo came in to infest a game, just like YOU'RE doing." Taffyta growled "Turbo came here and changed the rules to benefit him. Just like YOU'RE doing!"

The other racers looked astonished but in their hearts of hearts, she was speaking something they had all wanted to for months.

It was just that fear was the number one factor of holding them back.

"How can ya say that Snake is anytihn' like Turbo, Taff?" Vanellope said, the strawberry girl holding her nose in the air.

"You've said, everyone's said it. I know Turbo so well don't I?"

"Yes! I mean-! No, we never meant it like that!"

"Then WHAT did you mean, Von Schweetz? It's not like you and you're crew have been getting on my butt for a YEAR about it. What did you mean whenever you called me a Turbo Follower or Turbo Lover or anything else?!"

Vanellope scowled but found she had no words to cover it this time; she HAD meant exactly what she said and Taffyta had caught her in the trap but what bothered her the most was that it seemed as if Taffyta had finally learned to block out the insults, perhaps a lot better than SHE did, and was baiting Vanellope to screw up in front of the crowd.

Of course that was it; it was all a trap as it always was with Taffyta but this time Vanellope knew better. It seemed that despite how odd Snake's actions were, perhaps he did have a point in implementing the rules of the road, considering it felt like Taffyta and the others were never going to change their ways.

"I put those rules up for a reason, TAFF."

"Apparently to gain more wins."

"NO." the girl retorted "Because I don't want anyone else to go through what I did."

"Ya mean being bullied? Being pushed around? Being hurt?" Taffyta snapped back "Because that's what we're ALLLLLL going through right now but of course, you'd rather just have your butt sniffed than do anything about it!"

"Taffyta, stop!" Rancis called out again, he and the other racers exiting their karts and trying to pull the girls apart "All we've been doing is yelling at each other and not a thing has been done!"

"As if ANYTHING is going to get done with a GLITCH in charge!" Taffyta spat out.

"Stop calling me a GLITCH, Muttonflub!"

"I will when ya show us ya actually care about tha game! Not impressing these buncha-!"

"WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?!"

Everyone stopped, seeing the massive figure of Ralph appearing. The racers froze, all looking in worry if the big man had caught them fighting with Vanellope. The Wrecker scanned the area, taking note of how the kids were looking at him.

"Aw, geeze. Not again."

"Ralph." Snake said, once again playing on the friendliness "It is great to ssssssee you here ssssso sssssoon!"

"I take it somethin' went down?"

"Nothing that we can't take care of ourssssselvessssss." Snake chuckled to himself "Unlesssssss you want to help handling the trasssssh?"

Ralph narrowed his eyes, walking past the racers and going over to Vanellope "Ta be honest? I came here ta relax. Watch tha next roster race, if ya don't mind?"

Snake did a well enough job holding back his irritation, feeling that Ralph had slipped a bit when it came to mouthing off at the racers. No matter; it wasn't as if he lost any other opportunities.

"In that cassssse, let the racesssss being!"

"Maybe NORMALLY, this time?" grunted Gloyd, Ralph picking up on the boy's words.

"Ahem, what? Is there another mode I'm unaware of?"

Ralph was doing a horrible job at playing dumb, the other racers looking back at him before returning, dragging their feet, back to their karts.

"Um, why don't ya guys get a quick repair before ya hit tha tracks?" Vanellope said, a weak smile on her face "Tha works, on me. No coins."

A few of the racers said nothing, the girl already knowing that a free clean-up wasn't nearly enough to make up for what happened to them throughout the entire day.

"Th-thanks."

Both Ralph and Vanellope looked down, seeing the familiar snow-drift coming off a particular tiny racer.

"….Beezie?"

"Th-thanks, Vanellope." The shy girl said, her voice coming out so softly that Ralph could barely hear her but from what he COULD hear, he knew she was scared "That helps….a lot."

In all the anger and madness that had happened a little flutter came about Vanellope's heart, the girl starting to smile.

Maybe they all didn't hate her after all.

"N-Not a prob, Bee-Bee!" Vanellope replied, a little bright laugh ringing at the end of her words "In fact, how 'bout we make all the washes free from this point on? I mean with all tha work ya guys put in day after day, ya-!"

"You better be GRACIOUSSSSSS of such a gift!" Snake barreled in, nearly knocking Vanellope over as he stood threateningly over Adorabeezle. Ralph was fast enough to catch his friend before she hit the ground, in awe at just how quickly Snake had turned on everyone.

"Whoa, Snake-!"

"And thissss goessss for the resssst of you asssss well!" the reptile roared down at the others, Nougetsia rushing over to her sister to protect her "What you are getting isssss sssssomething that is undessserving of the lot of you! The Presssssident doesssssn't have to ssssspend a sssssingle coin on you after what you put her through!"

"Snake? Lay it off, man." Ralph said, putting his hand down HARD on the snake's shoulder and pulling him back.

"I am jussst doing what'sssss right, Wreck-It."

"What's RIGHT is that these kids get themselves cleaned up an' ready ta go for tha next race." The big man said, nodding a head towards the tiny racers "Wouldn't ya say, guys?"

The racers didn't know what to do, Taffyta most of all. They just looked up at Ralph, silent.

"Um, kids?"

They weren't used to this, not at the very least. After so many months of being yelled at and scared by Ralph they just weren't used to him being so calm around them.

And he was very much aware of that.

"Um, ya don't wanna race too late, do ya?"

There were a few head shakes from the group, Ralph grimacing nervously.

"A-ah, then….ya-! Better-! Get ta washin' an'-! Fancy car talk….stuff."

The other bosses were just as surprised, many of them ready to sink their hooks into the group but seeing Ralph's reaction made them stop dead in their tracks. The racers slowly slinked off, many of them having to push their karts off the track due to some of the damage that had been done but they all kept their heads down.

It wasn't as if a victory had been granted to them via the Wrecker. They still knew they had massive targets on their backs and one more world could mess it up for everyone.

But then one racer looked back….

"M-Mr. Ralph!"

Torvald.

Both Ralph and Vanellope looked over, seeing just how worried the racer looked.

"Somethin' up, Tori?" asked Vanellope but as she approached the girl, she noticed that her eyes kept darting back and forth between the ground and Ralph.

The butter-girl had to say something after what she had seen happen between Vanellope and Snake, the way that Snake was pawing all over the racer, the way he had twisted his words around her to keep her in place. Torvald knew that Snake was pulling more strings than anyone knew and she HAD to tell Ralph. He had to know what the monster was doing to her friend….

But Snake was still close by, eyeing the racer angrily.

He was trying to scare her back, to threaten her back into a position where all the 'Placeholders' belonged but after everything she had gone through, after everything her sisters had been through…

The girl frowned, going over to Ralph and whispered in his ears.

" _I wanna talk."_

" _What?"_ the big man whispered back, keeping an eye on Snake.

"Ya wanna go to the ice cream place?" the girl spoke out loudly, smiling.

"Kid, what are ya talkin' 'bout?"

"I know ya don't like chocolate, Mr. Ralph." Torvald said "How about we talk about VANILLA instead?"

Vanellope's ears went hot, knowing that something was afoot in the conversation about her and Ralph quickly figured it out as well. His gut was telling him this was no joke, that the little racer was going to confirm a lot of worries he had been holding onto since his talk with his Anon buddies.

He was going to heed Clyde's advice this time.

He was going to listen.

Not just to Vanellope.

To every candy racer there.

"Ah, yes!" the big man said, throwing out a powerful laugh as he stood up, his back towards Snake "That IS my favorite flavor! We can talk more about it after the races!"

Torvald nodded, knowing that a pact had been made and there was trust felt.

" _Be careful."_ Ralph whispered again, hoping that no one had witnessed him doing so and in a flash Torvald was off to rejoin the others. He then looked down at Vanellope "An' you kid?"

"Assss you can ssssssee, the Pressssident'ssss kart isssss in prissssten condition." Snake cooed as he rubbed his hands against the kart, Ralph's nose wrinkling at his actions.

"Um, in most cases that usually means it hasn't seen any action." Ralph replied, hands going to his sides.

Snake's eyes bulged open, realizing what he had just implied in his attempts to woo over Ralph once more. He stood up, laughing before brushing off the kart again.

"Oooor-" he fumbled "It could alssssso mean that the Presssssident isssss ssssso good at maneuvering around thosssse otherssss, she-!"

"Yeah, that's enough for right now." Ralph snorted, walking past the snake baddie "Just let Vanellope get ready so we can get this over with."

"Wow, Ralph." Vanellope said, arching a brow "From tha sound'a things, ya might just roll me down the tracks."

"Sorry kid, I just had a lotta thing on my mind."

"Thossssse Nicelanderssssss aren't messsssing with you?" Snake butting in aagain, Ralph letting out a yelp "You know we can alwaysssss-!"

"NO." Ralph said, his voice going deep "Snake. Don't do anythin'. Everythin' is fine, everythin' is okay. Ya don't hafta rush anywhere, okay?"

Snake blinked, not used to Ralph showing him so much resistance but he quickly recovered, nodding his head.

"Understood, Ralph." The fellow baddie said "But if there isssss any problem. You know you can alwayssss count on usssss."

Ralph looked at his 'fellow baddies', the sneaky grins plastered on their faces not warranting him any hope.

"Yeah….trust. Always good ta have that."

Soon the racers were lined up, the crowds set in their right place but this time around Ralph moved himself a little closer to the tracks. He had ditched his special reserved box-seat for something more fitting to the common NPCs of the game but once again when he arrived, they quickly scurried away.

"Wait, ya don't hafta go!" Ralph blurted out, trying his best to reassure the tiny candy NPCs.

"N-No!" cheeped on of them, looking terrified "W-We don't wanna get in your way!"

"But you're not in my way." Ralph said sadly.

"We're not good enough to be with you!" said another "That's why we made these appointed seats!"

"So now we're separatin' characters by class, again?" Ralph said gruffly though he knew by the way the candy was acting, this was no choice of theirs.

He knew this was something that had happened over time. When Sugar Rush was first reset, it felt like everyone was welcomed, that everyone could come in as they pleased and enjoyed themselves. Sure, Ralph, along with Felix and Calhoun, got a lot of special treatment given what they had contributed to the game but Ralph had never seen anyone call for characters to be designated to different areas due to their roles, especially after hours.

Maybe…

But then he called back to when Snake came in with him.

The big man shook his head, trying to clear his thought but he heard the NPCs whine again. They were still scared, stuck in place as if they were expecting him to do something. As if they expected him to hurt them.

"….What?"

"Um…you're not mad at us?" asked one of the candies.

"Why would I be mad at ya?"

"B-Because we're NPCs?" the character said "An…an' NPCs were mean ta ya right? So…."

"Soooo….what?" Ralph asked again "Ya…ya guys think I hate EVERY NPC because-?"

"Hey, are ya tooth-rotters botherin' our boy here!?"

Ralph jumped with the NPCs, looking over to see Baston and his feline partner with him, the duo sneering down at the candies.

"Hey-!"

"Don't ya lil imps have your OWN section ta get to?" Baston laughed, moving closer to the candies "Go on an' cheer for those loser racers, seein' it's tha only thing programmed in ya."

"What was that?"

Baston looked up, not expecting the angered look Ralph shot at him. He twitched, standing straight.

"Ah, Ralph-!"

"There's plenty'a a room here." The Wrecker said in a gruff voice "In fact, it feels like we could have several games come in here an' fill up this section."

"Y-Yeah, I know that!" coughed Baston "But we gotta keep tha riff-raff outta here! We don't want 'em botherin' us."

"But they aren't botherin' me." Ralph said "In fact, they haven't been botherin' anyone so why give 'em a hard time?"

The two other baddies were surprised, not used to seeing Ralph defending NPCs in such a manner.

"Um, Ralph?" the feline asked, arching a brow "You feeling okay?"

"Yes, I am." The big man nodded "But wow! Tha only thing that could ruin my mood could possibly be a bunch'a jerks tryin' ta round up folks, tellin' them they aren't welcomed somewhere because of their roles! Kinda feels familiar, DOESN'T IT?"

The two younger characters stopped, Ralph getting them right where he wanted.

"Aaaaah-?"

The group turned around, an unfamiliar figure standing before them, a massive bag slung over her shoulder.

"Did I…." said the female figure, her fancy goggles looking out of place with the loose summer dress she wore "Come in at the wrong time?"

Baston looked the character up and down "An' you would be?"

"Cadet Olivia Orzela!" the woman smiled, getting into a proper saluting position "Member of Hero's Duty! Reporting for inspection!"

Hero's Duty?

Everyone was surprised by this turn, the baddies included; SHE was a Hero's Duty character?

She was so much lankier!

So much brighter!

So much-!

Not as they expected.

Ralph found himself standing to his feet, fumbling about as he gave the woman a salute "Ah-! OH! Um-!"

The one called Olivia looked around curiously, looking humored to Ralph's reactions "Wow. Sarge said that ya were a bit jumpy as of late. Didn't think she meant it like this."

"Sarge?" asked Baston "As in Sargent Calhoun?"

"Who else?"

"Don't tell me she sent ya here!"

Ralph looked over, Olivia smiling "She did?"

"Yup!" the woman nodded, setting her bag on the ground "She informed me that she had feelings there were still some issues within the game that needed to be checked up on so she sent me in her absence."

Baston snickered, rolling his eyes "Well, yes. Of course she'd needed ta send someone, given her track record of Baddie Bashin'!"

"Unconfirmed." Olivia said, already busy away on her com as she lifted a finger towards Baston "Unconfirmed bashing. Given I saw the Sarge returning with her husband to his home around the same time of the reported incidents, I have a good feeling that Sarge was framed. It's just a matter of finding the right evidence to prove her innocence."

Baston scowled, Felia ducked down; the two were not feeling too well around this new cadet.

"Actually, I'm glad ta see someone here!"

The baddies looked up at Ralph, surprised to see him so happy.

"Tha last few weeks here have been NUTS." The man breathed out but his tone showed a lot more hope than what the others were expecting "An' I know Calhouny had a lotta stuff planned before she was sent…I mean….um."

"Ya don't hafta sugar coat it, big fella. All things considered of course." Olivia smiled as she looked back at the larger man.

Ralph couldn't help but feel an odd sense of warmth coming from the Cadet. She was so small, so flighty looking compared to the hardened fighters of Hero's Duty, especially compared to Calhoun but she was already busy away setting up her equipment around the seating area, the many screens and keyboards glowing and beeping.

"Sarge was indeed sent to tha gulags." The young woman said, almost as if she wasn't worried at all "Ha! Ya shudda heard tha stuff that came outta her mouth when she got back! I know this is a kiddie game n' all-? That Felix boy of yours? Marky had ta have HIS ears plugged by him it got so bad!"

"What exactly are ya here for, chica?" Baston said rudely, approaching Olivia but she didn't budge an inch.

"Like I said, I'm pickin' up where Sarge left off. She wanted to make sure there weren't any abnormalities within the game an' with the data she handed to me before-!"

"I don't think there's any need for that." The male baddie said, smirking greasily at the Cadet "Snake an' tha rest'a us already figured out what was goin' on an' it all goes back to those kids. If there's anyone ya should be checkin' out, it's them."

"An' I will." The Cadet replied, once again not at all moved by Baston's advances towards her. Ralph scowled, pushing the smaller baddie away.

"Look, she's just here ta help. There's no reason ta get so rough with her."

"Ooooh, but I won't!" Baston sang teasingly towards Olivia "I mean, given tha looks of her, I shouldn't anyway."

Olivia was once again far too busy with her work to notice Baston approaching her again, his big hands reaching out for her.

"After all, those twig arms look like they could-!"

WAH-PISH!

"AURK!"

Before the baddie knew what was happening, those 'twig arms' moved like light, a strong grip holding onto his wrist painfully.

"H-Hey-!"

It only took a moment before Baston found himself flipped off his feet and thrown high into the air, only to be slammed down a second later.

"Baston!" cried Felia, Ralph looking on with his jaw on the ground.

Baston moaned, looking up to see the svelte Cadet looking down at him but as her goggles were covering her eyes, he could not tell if she were frowning at him but her stances only showed calmness, the wind blowing her billowy dresses around her.

"Ah, sorry." She apologized "Force of habit. Even use computer nerds are given basic trainin'. Combat, guns an' everythin'."

"E-Everythin'?"

"Ya know somethin', Baston?" Ralph smiled, picking the sore baddie up and placing him on wobbling feet "Maybe? Perhaps? It might be a good idea ta get some ice for that? Ya wouldn't wanna get a nasty bruise would ya?"

Felia nodded nervously, pushing Baston along "Y-Yeah. I'll get right on that, Ralph."

"Felia, OW!"

Finally the two baddies were gone, Ralph letting out a heavy sigh.

"Seriously?"

He looked to the side, the other candies still hiding in their spots nervously.

"C'mon, fellas. They're gone."

The first candy, a chocolate peppermint, stepped forward albeit nervously.

"I-It's okay that we sit here?"

"Whatever view ya find better."

"S-So…we're not getting' in your way? Ya don't mind sharing a seat next ta an NPC?"

"Guys…." The big man said, his voice warm and his expression welcoming "We're here ta have FUN! I don't mind who sits next ta me! I mean….unless ya don't think I smell, do ya?"

"Nah, Mr. Ralph!" chirped a ditzy little taffy girl "Ya smell like dirt! An' I like dirt!"

Finally some calmness had graced the group, the candies getting to their seats as the racers were prepping up.

"Sarge told me ya were a big doof…"

"Hmm?"

The big man looked over, Olivia smiling from her screen "But she also said you were a big sweet heart as well."

Ralph blushed furiously, clearing his throat as he attempted to make himself look as big and as hard as possible in front of the smaller character.

"Ha! Well, ya know-!" he chuckled, Olivia catching the cracks "Sometimes ya gotta lay down tha law but it helps ta have that tender heart, ya know?"

"Mouse."

"What?"

"Ya can call me Mouse." The woman smiled, extending her thin hand towards the giant Wrecker "Olivia is waaaay too formal! Specially for a game like HD!"

Ralph looked down in caution; now he was scared he'd break her hand.

"Ah….Nice ta meet ya, Mouse."

The two shook hands, friendship achievement unlocked.

* * *

"This just isn't tha same." Felix pouted, leaning in his wife's arms as the two of them sat in the cramped space of her Hero's Duty dorm.

Calhoun didn't say a word, looking at the race on TV coldly.

"I can try ta talk ta Surge again." The hero in blue said "There's gotta be somethin' I can do! Anythin'!"

"Don't waste your breath on it, Big-Nose." Calhoun said, Felix looking more worried than before.

"How can ya say that?! I can't believe out of everyone here, you're just gonna take your punishment?!"

"I know it's unfair…" the woman continued "But there's a reason why I'd rather sit it out than let ya or Ralph try ta 'break me out'."

"Why?!"

"Because he's testin' us."

"Who?"

"I don't think I need ta bring up WHO." The woman said, holding onto Felix tighter "I know Snake did this. I know Snake framed me. All clues to it are there but he's slick enough ta know how ta maneuver himself as not ta get caught!"

The woman looked down at the TV, the camera showing Snake and his buddies sitting the in the lap of luxury at the grandstand.

In the place where she used to reside.

Her blood began to boil, wanting nothing more than to throttle the upstart snake for all his actions but as she had said, he had played his cards well. He had enough 'help' around the entire arcade that no matter what actions she took he would be able to maneuver and twist it make her seem like the real Bad-Guy.

She knew that people were whispering rumors about how she had rounded up bad-guys to intimidate them, how she had only gotten on Ralph's side for the fame. Snake was indeed dirty but he was smart and he had used her anger to his advantage. And he knew that Felix and Ralph would be so desperate to get her out that as a last resort, they would be reduced to BEGGING to free Calhoun.

And that was something the woman did not want to see happen again.

It was humiliating enough to see Felix fall on his knees and beg Surge to pardon his wife but in the back of her mind it served as a painful sense of retribution to her own actions. She remembered those many months when she had laughed at the racers when they had begged for their lives when Vanellope had 'joked' about executing them and to see Felix beg, someone she love, being reduced to the same thing...

It was humiliating.

It wasn't funny.

And it struck her to the very code.

"I'll get him." The Marine said "I'll get him but I'm keepin' my dignity with it. It's been sore enough as it is, an' I don't want ya goin' 'round muckin' yourself up for me."

"Tammy, my reputation was already in shambles before all'a this." The repairman said "When people got word on what had happened ta Ralph under my watch, many people who I thought were friends turned on me at the drop of a hat. So don't even pretend as if I don't know what it's like ta have your reputation stomped on."

Calhoun was surprised to the coarse tone in her husband's voice, the woman pulling him closer.

"Was it that bad?"

"It could have been worse…." The hero sighed "But I had you. I had Ralph and Vanellope. I had the Nicelanders….but it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter because no matter what I do, I can never make up for it. People can't change or grow from their mistakes. I guess. I'm learnin' that now."

Maybe it was because they were away from the others that Felix felt he could finally unleash his inner thoughts but hearing her husband be so down on himself surprised the Marine. He was always the one bringing everyone else up, he was always the one making everyone else smile.

Now he was the one who needed help.

"Babe?"

"Yeah?"

"I know ya got your plans on how ta fix this….but don't worry. I already sent out my best ta go where we can't."

Felix smiled, pulling his wife's arms closer around him. It was a good feeling, even with all the chaos that was happening around them.

"Maybe you're right."

"I know I'm right, slim."

The hero sighed and smiled, turning his focus back on the race in front of him "Oh well. Maybe things will get better."

* * *

The roster race continued, Vanellope taking lead but the others quickly gained against her.

"Okay, things seem fine enough now." The girl said to herself, keeping her eyes on the road "Just so long as we don't get anymore 'pop-ups', I can sink this!"

She was determined to win this one on her own, no outside help needed.

Things continued to heat up, Vanellope looking to the side and seeing a butterscotch kart roaring up next to her.

Torvald Blatterbutters.

"Better watch out. She'll butter tha road an' send me inta a tail-spin!" the vanilla racer said as she held her ground, carefully fishtailing her kart to keep Torvald from gaining but the butter racer had other plans. The little racer took notice of Vanellope's moves, staying firmly in place as not to be distracted or hit.

"I know she's ready to use the glitch…." The butter-themed racer said to herself, looking through her inventory of Seekers "But she's not the only one with surprises up her sleeves."

A button push later, Torvald activated the Seeker.

WHIP IT GOOD!

A giant can of whipped-cream appeared on the back of the racer's kart, Vanellope letting out a gasp.

"Oooooh, BOY! I know this one is gonna be a doozy."

The butter racer took aim and shoot out a surprising spread bomb of cream in front of Vanellope.

"YIKES!"

It was well calculated on Torvald's part, the girl knowing that if Vanellope tried to glitch forward, no matter the spacing she went, she'd wind up running into a patch.

But what if Vanellope glitched BACKWARDS!

The girl pulled his signature move, the others back at the grandstand cheering.

"Haha, that isssss how a real racer doessss it!" Snake said, his words making it sound as if he had coached Vanellope himself but as he was about to see, things were not as they seemed.

Even if Vanellope had glitched behind Torvald, it didn't mean she was safe.

"Hah, now I can-!"

SPLURT!

"AURGH!"

Vanellope had been so caught up in avoiding the bombs in front of her, she forgotten that Torvald could easily WHIP IT from behind and that was exactly what she did, using the last large dollop of cream to shoot directly at Vanellope and slow her down.

"There we go!" Torvald said, taking off in front of Vanellope, picking up points along the way.

"Ooooh, a sneaky one." The vanilla racer said, feeling her kart slowdown from the attack "But I'm not out yet!"

Vanellope went faster but the effects of the whip cream were still on her. It made her kart sluggish and jiggly, everything around her softer to the point she had to be extra careful not to cause anything to overheat or melt under her.

"Ride it on, Vanellope. Ride it on."

She was getting closer to Torvald but held back a glitch; it would have been too easy and she had a feeling that Torvald was planning for it.

"I can't waste it anyway. Need ta use it when it's best!"

She had to wait out the Seeker's effects, thanking the programmers that there was still enough track left before the finish line but Torvald was not going down without a fight. She was determined to win, no matter what had happened earlier.

At the grandstand, Ralph and Mouse looked on with excitement.

"Hoooooly coconuts!"

In a strange twist, Ralph found himself wondering what Torvald was going to do to hang onto her first place spot, a thought that Ralph never would have thought about in the past.

Because in the past, he would have gotten angry just like Snake had that Vanellope wasn't in the lead.

In the past, he would have shouted and booed the butterscotch racer.

In the past-

"They have a few paces left." Mouse said, looking at the markers on the screen "This one is gonna be tight!"

The two larger characters weren't the only ones thinking that, another boss below them looking at the screen in anger.

"Aw man, that recolor is winnin'!" said a character beside Snake "I thought ya said this was gonna be an easy win on Vanellope! Don't ya know how much I got ridin' on her!"

"Shut up and sssssit ssssstill." The Snake hissed at his 'friend' "Thingssss will be taken care of in a few momentssss."

The race continued on, everyone watching Torvald and Vanellope go head to head as the vanilla racer got her traction back.

"Aw, finally!" she cheered to herself, rolling up alongside the butter racer but Torvald didn't turn, keeping her concentration on the road and off Vanellope.

The vanilla racer said nothing, looking and feeling nervous; usually when she passed Torvald, they had some sort of friendly smile or something but now? Now the other girl didn't even want to address that Vanellope existed.

"Just keep pressin'! Just keep-!"

WOO WOOO WOO WOO!

Vanellope squeaked in surprise; there was that sound again.

"What tha-?"

She looked back, seeing the signals of the 'Road Patrol' rushing up to the two. Her stomach dropped, remembering what actions had been taken during the normal races and dreading what was to come now.

"No, no, no!" Vanellope waved "Get back! GET BACK!"

At the grandstand Ralph looked on in anger, growling "Urgh, not those guys again!"

"Ya mean this isn't part of tha race?" asked the young Cadet, looking up for a moment "Hmmm, I did find it rather odd that such a feature would be added on so suddenly."

"No." the big man replied "There aren't supposed ta be donut cops on tha road durin' a race. Or ANY cop for that matter!"

Mouse looked up at the Jumbo-tron, tapping the side of her lip "Wait a moment…."

"Yeah, Kid?"

"Isn't that the guy who tried to flip me earlier?"

The big man squinted his eyes, getting a better look at the people behind the wheels of the candy karts.

"Baston?!"

* * *

"Okay, ya head 'em up on the right! I'll take the left!" Baston called over to his partner, the other giving a nod as they rushed up to the other racers in the line up.

Vanellope could only look on ins shock as the melee began, the first unknown taking a swerve over at Snowanna.

"Hey!"

"Don't even think of tryin' ta pass!" they brayed, hitting Snowanna hard on the sides and making her skid.

"Urgh, stop!" she pleaded, finding it harder and harder to regain control over her vehicle "I'm tryin' ta-!"

Before Snowanna could utter another word, she ran headlong into a cupcake pike, causing her kart to flip over in the air and land her in a pile of hard jellybeans.

"SNOWANNA!" Citrusella cried out, hearing a laughter of another behind her.

"Heheh, now for the first recolor to go down!"

The blueberry racer sped up as best she could but Baston was no slouch on his candy motorbike, catching up with the racer in no time. Vanellope was flabbergasted, trying her best to maneuver her kart in the way to block Baston from attacking.

"Wait, don't even-!"

But she was too late, Baston ramming his front wheel into the back of Citrusella's kart. She screamed but held steady, managing to keep her kart on the road.

"Are ya recolors that stupid?!" the man called out "Ya know tha rules!"

"I-I just know I'm supposed to race!" the blueberry girl shouted out, feeling the terror rising in her pixels "Why are you trying to hurt me?!"

"Vanellope said ya guys like it rough….so ya should be able ta take it!"

Baston hit Citrusella again, this time managing to snag the back wheel and making it explode from the force. The kart was now out of control, ice-cream and blueberries going everywhere.

"KIYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

"CISSY!" cried Vanellope as she watched the other racer lose control. Soon the remaining tires melted and disintegrated, causing the kart to go into a dangerous series of barrel rolls on the road before coming to a stop in a pile of marshmallows.

"No, no, no! Citrusella!" the vanilla racer cried to herself but she was too far from the crash to see the aftermath, the blueberry racer slowly pulling herself free.

No one could have missed the action that had taken place during the day but now that the arcade was closed?

The danger had only increased.

At least for the other racers.

"Pull over!" Baston shouted as he rolled next to Torvald, the girl looking on in worry and nearly losing grips with her steering wheel.

"What's goin' on?!"

"You're in violation of tha race, that's what Recolor!" Baston growled as he tried to grab onto the doors of Torvald's kart, the girl screaming as she veered to the side.

"LET GO!"

She crashed into Vanellope, the girl going back a few paces "Torvald!"

"Pull over NOW!" Baston roared to the girl, moving closer towards the kart much to both girl's horror.

Vanellope remembered the moves that had been pulled while the racers were in the arcade but now Baston had taken things to a whole new level. He was actively trying to force Torvald to stop her kart and in doing so, causing both him and her to spiral into danger.

"Baston, STOP!" Vanellope shouted as she pulled up alongside Torvald's kart, seeing and hearing the girl struggling against the man.

"Let go, let go, LET GO!" the butter racer wailed but the man was too strong against her "Please! Stop!"

* * *

"Looks like there is trouble on the tracks, ladies and gentlemen!" the announcer called to the spectators "Torvald Blatterbutters is trying to resist Baston's attempts at slowing her down!"

"Yeah, I would think!" Ralph cried out, knowing full well the announcer could not hear him "What tha heck is he doin'?! This is a race! What did she do wrong?!"

"You can't pull moves like that on tha President!" Baston's voice boomed over the Jumbo-Tron "Now pull over or else you'll get worse than this!"

By now every TV in the arcade that was broadcasting the race was surrounded by awed spectators. If they had missed out on the action during the previous races, there was no way they were going to miss them now! In Hero's Duty, Felix and Calhoun were slack-jawed, shocked to see what was transpiring before them.

"That creep is gonna make her crash!" Calhoun roared, standing on her feet and making Felix fall to the ground.

"GAH!"

"What is this?! What is this?!" the woman repeated, grabbing ahold of the TV and nearly throwing it to the ground "Get him off tha track! He's gonna hurt everyone!"

* * *

"Baston! Bastoooooooon!" Vanellope shouted as loudly as she could over the roaring engines "Back off! Leave Torvald alone! If she crashes inta ya, ya might get a Game Over!"

"Don't worry about us, President!" said the other unknown figure next to the girl "We won't let some Placeholder hurt us!"

Vanellope was stunned at what she was bearing witness to; no matter what she said, no matter how much she pleaded, no one was listening to her.

 _ **AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIEEEEEE**_!

Torvald let out a loud scream as Baston took control of her kart, his large hands pulling it towards a wall and making it grind horribly against it.

"NO, no! STOP!" the girl cried out, scared for her life.

"Oh, quit your blubberin'! You'll come back!"

That was it. That was the straw that broke the candy-camel's back.

Vanellope used a glitch to zoom up to the two, beeping her horn loudly.

"Baston, let her get back in control!"

"But she's gonna cause ya ta lose tha race!"

"Forget about tha race!" Vanellope shouted, feeling like breaking her own steering wheel against her "Stop this before ya-!"

And then….

The wall came to an end.

It happened so quickly, it happened so fast that no one knew what to expect.

But what it lead to….

The wall Torvald had been forced against ended, Baston taking note of it just in time to slam the breaks and loosen his grip from the girl's kart but it was too late for Torvald. She looked, seeing the massive gorge coming to the right of her and given the position she had been forced in there was no way she could recover. Her eyes widened in horror, the quick SNAP of the whiplash hitting her as the speed of her kart flung her to the side and through the guardrail with a hair raising crash.

Vanellope could only take one last look.

Torvald looked right at her.

She could see the fear in her eyes.

She could see the dread.

She knew this was going to be the end.

And Vanellope had done nothing to prevent it.

" _ **TORVAAAAAAAAAAAAAALD!"**_

BOOM!

CRASH!

SMASH!

CLANG!

Everyone in the stands watched in horror as the racer's kart tumbled from the side of the cliff, rolling down the rocky ravine and landing with a bone-snapping crunch on the valley below.

* * *

"Torvald Blatterbutters is out of the race!" the announcer said, Torvald's avatar X-ed off the scoreboard "Ladies and gentlemen, please remain calm and seated as medical profession make their way through."

"If we were lucky….." Snake hissed to himself, those with him chuckling "It would be a FUNERAL processssion."

Snake may have found the event sweeter than candy but to a certain Wrecker-?

"Holy coconuts…." Ralph said, going cold "HOLY COCONUTS! Torvald! She'-!"

"Is someone gonna help tha kid?!" Mouse looked about "I mean-! If ya need anythin' I can go out there an' get her!"

"Stay here!" Ralph panted, holding Mouse back "It's bad enough we had people from outside tha game on that track! We don't need anymore!"

Mouse observed the actions of Vanellope and Baston on the screen, her mind quickly ticking away.

"What is goin' on in this game?"

* * *

Vanellope looked back in her mirror, her heart racing faster than ever as she saw the smoke rising from below the gorge but she could not stop, seeing the extra karts coming up behind her.

"The lane is yours, President!"

"What?!"

The girl looked beside her, seeing Baston on a make-shift candy scooter.

"What are ya doin' out here?!" the girl yelled over the roar of her motor "You're not-!"

"Snake's orders!" Baston shouted, squinting his eyes from the candy dust flying at him "He wanted us ta take care of any CHEATERS on the course!"

But Torvald DIDN'T cheat; she was only doing what every racer did with every race they participated in and now she had been knocked off the track and not only disqualified but who knew the extent of her injuries. Vanellope had the right mind to stop in the middle of the race and go back but she saw that there was yet another 'patroller' to her side, the helmet blocking their appearance from her.

"No! NO!" she called back "Get off tha track! This is dangerous!"

"We got it covered, President!" Baston called back, giving the girl a thumbs up.

And how terrible did it feel to see it.

"Ya still got time ta win this one! Take it, President!"

"NO!" the girl gasped, finding it harder to concentrate both on racing and talking to the so-called patroler "I have to go back! I hafta-!"

 _ **SHOOOOOOM!**_

Vanellope gave a shout as three karts whipped past her, throwing her and the others to the side.

"AUUURGH!"

Swizz had now taken first, the boy clutching his steering wheel in anger as he saw the end of the track nearing him. Vanellope attempted to regain herself, her kart getting hooked up on the crag of road.

"HEY! He can't do that!" shouted Baston, reeving up his candy scooter to go after the bunch "Just wait till I-!"

"Don't do anythin'!"

"But President-!"

Vanellope managed to glitch herself free but she had lost traction and placement, now coming in fourth. She glared at those before her but it was not anger she threw towards them. If anything, she was far angrier at herself for not stopping to help Torvald in time but now she had no choice. She had to get away and she had to get back on the track, especially if she wanted to make the roster. The sound of the other karts were slowly coming up from the hill, Vanellope looking back towards Baston and his partner.

"Get off tha track an' head back ta tha circle."

"But President-!"

"YA HEARD ME!" the girl bellowed, pushing hard on the gas of the kart "Things are only gonna get worse if we keep pushin' things like this!"

And in a flash Vanellope took off, glitching carefully to regain some spots but she was still behind. Taffyta roared behind Swizzle, followed by Crumbellina and Sakura, the racers determined to make it past every obstacle that was before them. Vanellope studied the formation, knowing that she could have easily glitched past them but she remembered what had happened the last time she had done so.

The bad feeling in her stomach, the headaches, the tingling in her fingers; small glitches didn't prove a problem to her but only on the track did they seem to cause an alarm. She knew she couldn't risk it, that she had to be careful but the more she looked at the formation, she knew she was going to have to put in actual effort to break the group, a glitch the last thing she needed.

Taffyta looked back in her mirror, seeing Vanellope creeping up behind them group.

"Swizz, she's on our tail!" the strawberry racer called up.

"An' ya want me ta do what?"

"Nothin'…." Growled the pink girl "Ya already got enough guff earlier in tha race…."

The strawberry racer's eyes narrowed to slits, her gloves squeaking loudly against the wheel of her kart.

"I think it's time tha lil snot gets a taste of an actual battle."

Taffyta pulled the clutch back, falling back and letting the other three go before her. Vanellope was shocked as were the others watching the race back at the main grandstand.

"What is Miss Muttonfudge doin'?" Ralph asked himself, Mouse scarfing down a bucket of popcorn in one hand and typing in the other.

"Mmmph! I don't know but holy cow! I've never seen anything like this!"

Back on the track the two girls finally met each other, Vanellope looking in caution to Taffyta's actions.

"Slowin' down, eh?" the girl joked, though her throat felt dry at the attempt "Never thought ya be one ta-!"

Taffyta didn't say a word, instead pointing her finger forward. Vanellope looked ahead, crying out as she saw a massive ramp coming up…..and Vanellope had not gotten into the correct position.

"AAAAURGH!"

She wanted to aim towards the ramp but instead hit a hard left, her wheels hitting the jagged edge and crumbling!

"OOOOH! Von Schweetz takes damage!" called the announcer, Ralph getting to his feet as he saw the bad swerve.

"Vanellope!"

"Aw man, any chance to recover from that?"

Ralph watched as the wheels on Vanellope's kart continued to disintegrate, the girl losing control.

"Glitch! Do somethin'!"

Vanellope glitched once but it only resulted in her going lopsided and not an inch closer to the three in the lead.

Taffyta on the other hand?

She had made the perfect aim for the ramp and was launched into the air, hitting a Seeker above her.

TAFFY TROUBLE!

Speak of the devil.

Taffyta took aim in an instant, shooting directly at Vanellope with the sticky gobs of strawberry candy, the girl shouting out in protest.

"It's only a game!" the pink racer snarled "YA CAN'T TAKE IT VON SCHWEETZ?!"

Friendly competition was one thing but Vanellope knew that Taffyta was attacking her out of pure spite and directly after making her crash on purpose.

"T-Taffyta! STOP!"

There was a hard thud as the girl's kart landed back on the road, taking the lead in front of Vanellope. She pressed harder onto the gas pedal, blowing smoke in Vanellope's face.

"Oh, this is a problem but causin' us to crash ISN'T?!"

Vanellope was choking on the smoke, the burnt pieces of sugar stinging her eyes and nose.

"Taffyta, please! Stop! I can't breathe!"

"Boo-hoo, sweetie!" the girl shouted back, anger filling her mind and actions "Ya wanted things tough but now ya fold out?!"

"T-Taffyta! HEL-!"

Vanellope just couldn't take it, once more glitching but the combination of her lack of sight and queasiness caused her kart to drop atop Taffyta's! The two girls screamed, the weight of Vanellope's kart causing Pink Lightening to drag horribly on the road. The heat caused the taffy and sugar to melt, more or less gluing the two together as their hodgepodge of a kart lumbered down the road.

"Oh boy! Oh boy!" Mouse gasped, finding the excitement of the racer overwhelming "They're comin' in, they're comin' in-!"

The two karts were careening down the road towards the other, Crumbellina and Sakura screaming as they both split to prevent from getting smashed.

"Get offa me, Glitch!" Taffyta roared, yanking Vanellope forward.

"Let go of me, Mutt!" Vanellope spat back, trying to get the girl's hands off of her.

The two fought and fought as they rode on, a big mistake for both. Without any sort of control, the karts finally veered off road and out of bounds, crashing into a stand and allowing whoever was left to pass!

SWIZZLE MALARKEY WINS!

The candy audience erupted into cheers and applause, leaving Ralph breathless as he collapsed upon the siding.

"Pwhooo!"

"Man, no wonder they call this place Sugar Rush!" Mouse said as she looked at the exhausted Ralph.

" _ **HAHN?"**_

"Haven't seen a race that intense since-!"

 _ **BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!**_

Right on time.

Mouse jolted as loud boos surrounded her, Ralph looking up and watching as a slew of people began to flood from the bottom part of the grandstand towards the Winner's Circle.

And who was leading them?

"CHEATER!" shouted Snake, ready to attack Swizzle and the other winners of the race "No good cheaters!"

Swizz quickly pushed his first place trophy behind himself as he jumped before the two girls beside him, "Snake, lay off man. It was a bad race as it was!"

"Well, it sssseemssss you got one thing right, boy!" the snake growled as he yanked Swizz from the ground, only to SLAM him into the side of his kart "Don't pretend that we didn't ssssee you cheat!"

"I didn't cheat, I didn't cheat!" Swizz cried out in pain, trying to escape but once more Snake and his cohorts had overpowered the group, circling around them.

"Thisssss isssss why the Pressssident hired usssss! To keep you lot in place and to keep thingssss like thissss from happening!"

The racers who had made it to the marks were unable to escape, Snake's cohorts leering and laughing at them as they began the usual beat-down upon them.

"And make sssure he doessssn't get that trophy!" Snake ordered "Firssst place is only resssserved for-!"

"Snake, stop!"

Everyone froze, Vanellope running up the path covered in melted taffy and smoke. She looked at the racers, she looked at her friends….

It was a disaster.

She looked over at Swizzle, the boy gasping for air within Snake's grasp, his cheek already swollen from a hit he had received.

"Put him down!"

"But he desssservessss punishment!"

"For what?!"

"For caussssing you to losssse!"

"It wasn't his fault, Snake!" Vanellope yelled, running over to the boy and pulling him from the reptile's grasp "He-! They-!"

Vanellope had to take another look at what was around her, the racers pummeled to the ground as much larger and stronger characters stood over them.

Characters she had given permission to make the game 'better'.

This wasn't what she wanted. This wasn't what she expected; she had wanted things to become more organized, to let everyone know that they were safe and that her new friends were good.

But this was the exact opposite of what she wanted.

She could hear whimpers from a few of the racers, seeing that even their candy NPCs had been dragged into the fight. For what reason? She didn't know but in the minds of the others, did it matter? She then caught a look at Swizz' kart. It had only been a few minutes but the tagging had already begun, chucks and pieces missing as well as someone else sprayed upon it.

CHEATER MALARKEY

"I-I got it…."

Vanellope looked down, Swizz staggering to get up.

"S-Swizz?"

The boy coughed, brushing the dirt off his jacket "I said I got it."

"No, no! You're hurt!"

"Just a lil roughed up, that's it." The boy said "But I think there are others that didn't cross tha finish line that got it worse than us."

Oh, no.

Snowanna.

Citrusella.

TORVALD.

Vanellope shook in her boots, her fingers starting to tingle again.

"Everyone, leave!"

"What was that, Pressssident?" Snake asked, his tone trying to cover up whatever guilt placed upon him.

"G-Go back ta tha castle!" the girl shouted "We need ta get everythin' cleaned up! I need ta see if tha others are alright!"

"If you're talking about thosssse other Placeholdersssss…." Snake said in a cold tone "I'm sssssure they're fine. They're like cockroachesssss."

"They're like ME." Vanellope yelled in protest.

"Huh, hardly." Snake replied, sniffing tartly "I just don't undersssstand why you're making yourssssself ssssick over pointlesssss filler anyway. I can take care of-!"

"Not this time."

"Excuse me?"

"I said, not this time." The vanilla racer repeated "You've done enough for one day. Maybe a buncha days!"

"But isssssn't thissss what you wanted me to do?"

Vanellope blanched, looking back at the other racers as they stared the girl down. They could never forget her 'speech' from the morning nor could she deny that she had indeed put Snake and his friends in charge of 'security'.

But as she had put them in charge….

Maybe she could clear it up.

"Snake, please." The girl said as calmly as she could "I know ya want tha best. I know you're just lookin' out for me…."

"Of courssssse I am!" the reptile began, the arrogant tone to his voice loud and clear "You are without a doubt the besssst assssset we have in thissss arcade and I consssssider it an honor to work alongssssside you and Ralph. Without you, there would be no Litwak'sssss, there would be no gamesssss, there would be nothing. Jussssst-!"

Vanellope had found her chance, knowing that Snake would lavish himself in a long-winded speech with enough time for her to make her escape. She snuck away, not noticing another racer staggering from the melted heap of candy cars.

"Ooooh, that was a twist….." Taffyta said, a doofy smile forming on her face as she felt the dizziness somewhat….

Familiar?

Relaxing?

Fun?

*GLITCH!*

" _But mom does better…."_

*GLITCH!*

 _Taffyta!? Baby, are you okay?!_

"M-Mama?"

 _I've had it with this kingdom, Bernie! We are moving!_

The area around Taffyta flashed, the track flickers and twisting before her eyes.

"Nnnngh-!"

She held her head, feeling as if someone were pounding it from within, so many pictures flashing in her eyes. What was happening?

"M-Mama'!" she cried out, seeing something large and pink before her "W-Wait! No! Don't-! We-! We can't leave! I don't wanna leave! I wanna stya in Sugar Rush! I wanna stay with V-!"

*GLITCH!*

The girl shook her head and blinked, her mind returning to zero in an instant.

"Huh?"

What was that?

What had happened?

The sounds of the candy ambulance alarms hit her ears, seeing the vehicle pull up as Vanellope ran past her, not taking a second glance.

Taffyta may not have remembered what she said only seconds before….

But she remembered why she was angry at Vanellope.

"Is tha glitch gonna celebrate over that too?"

Celebration was the last thing on the girl's mind, Vanellope running as fast as her little legs could carry her to the candy ambulance pulling up from beyond the track, Minty and Sticky riding on the back….

And Torvald laying battered and injured on the cot. The girl moaned and cried, smoke and dirt covering her face, her dress in tatters and cuts and bruises all over her skin. It made Vanellope's stomach turn, having never seen a racer injured in such a way. Snake continued to prattle on to the spectators, giving the girl ample chance as she rushed over to the ambulance kart, the candy doctor wrapping Torvald up.

"You're lucky you didn't get a game over." He said, checking over the girl but his voice was grim, a sure sign of a bitter diagnosis "But this is going to take a few cycles to fully recover from."

Sticky let out a pained cry as she buried her face in Minty's chest, the green girl holding her sister close, her brows furrowing in anger.

"HEY!"

The two uninjured sisters jolted at Vanellope's voice rushing towards them, the girl panting.

"T-Tori!"

For a moment, the two sisters were stunned to see Vanellope even approaching but their moods quickly changed. Sticky ducked behind the mint sister who promptly stood between her and Vanellope like a brick wall.

"What do _**YOU**_ want?"

The candy President stopped in her track upon hearing just how lot Minty's voice had gotten, the girl looking as if she were ready to run her over without the help of a kart.

"I-! I just wanted to see if Torvald was alright." Vanellope asid, her voice shaking "Is….is it bad?"

Minty's eyes widened in shock at the question, almost as if she could not believe what Vanellope had just asked. Had she even been there when she saw her sister attacked, had she even been there when the people she appointed to keep the game 'safe' purposely ran her off the road? Vanellope saw the fire rising from behind Minty's green eyes, rage building up from within. She slowly backed away, glitching a few times.

She had not made anything better.

Minty's scowl was deep, her anger was great but to the surprise of everyone she walked back to the kart, Sticky waiting for her.

"Fudge off, Vanellope."

There was no sugar-coating what that actually meant.

Vanellope stood in awe, her eyes wide, and her voice locked without a response to Minty's words as the ambulance took off, her knees knocking together.

It was only getting worse.

The ambulance pulled away, leaving Vanellope alone in the winner's circle once more, the other racers having broken off to their little groups. Ralph and Mouse looked on from the stands, rattled by what had taken place before them.

"Oh, my gosh…." Mouse said, her voice soft, looking over at the pain in Ralph's face.

It seemed that Calhoun had assigned her to the game just in time, the young Cadet realizing that there was much ado about the game than she first thought.

"Hey, Wreck-It?"

"Yeah?"

"I know this is a sensitive time…." The Cadet said, Ralph seeing her brows furrow against her goggles "But I think I need ta check out that code room."


	31. Chapter Thirty- Inspection

Chapter Thirty- Inspection

The Roster Race had not been over within the hour and the arcade was already abuzz over the result, the words flying from one game to another.

Didja hear? One of those Zaki kids bit it!

Some sorta bad crash on the road.

Heard that someone's so broken up they won't make it for a while.

I heard they were dead!

What?!

No way!

The excitement was all around….but for one body, he didn't hear a thing.

"What am I gonna do?"

Rat.

He slogged his way back home or to put it better, SNAKE'S home. The characters within the swamp-themed game went about their nightly practice, the Hero-Boy of the lot looking over and noticing just how down the rat appeared.

"Hey? You okay?"

The rodent peered over in surprised, quickly standing up tall for the others "Eh! Yeah! I mean-!"

Silence.

"Oooh, it was just a long day." The hefty rodent said, knowing he was doing a terrible job of hiding his nervousness but so was the hero of the game.

As Calhoun and the others had observed themselves the Hero was just as jittery, just as nervous but why? Why of all people would the hero be so nervous? This was something that even the rat had to question but given what had happened throughout the entire day there was only one thing on his mind.

HE had to get back to her.

"I need'a nap….a long nap." The rat moaned, giving the others a wave.

"Oh…okay." Said the Hero, Rat hearing the glumness in his voice "I-If ya need anythin' from me."

"I don't." the rat said "Tha fact that ya guys are lettin' us stay here…."

The Hero hunched down, looking almost as if he were ashamed of something as Rat went down the long hallways past the view-point for the players. It was long and dark but before long-

"Minsk?"

The darkness of the swamp led to another area of the game, one composed of many rooms and areas. Rat stood at the door of one of the dorms, peeking in cautiously.

"Minsk? Minsk, are ya here?"

He could hear something moving in the bed, the faint sounds of sniffling.

"Minsk?"

He flipped on more of the lights, a little yelp coming from the room as a small mouse-like creature sprang up, moving towards the wall in fright.

"Whoa, whoa! Settle down, Minsky."

It was another rodent similar to him, though she was much smaller and frailer looking. Rat looked at her, noticing the fear that was on her face as well as the puffiness of her eyes.

"Minsk?" he asked again, arching a brow as he inspected the character "Are…are you alright?"

The one called Minsk only nodded, turning her head away in shame "Y-Yeah, I'm fine Willard. Why do you ask?"

WILLARD?

THAT was his real name?

He tried to smile, going over to the small character and wrapping his arms around her "Awww, don't be like that. I know it's been a long day an' I've been out but…."

He looked down, seeing patches of fur missing on her shoulders and arms, red welts on her exposed skin.

"….Minsk?"

"Y-Yes?" the little mouse shivered, once again looking too afraid to turn towards her partner. Willard looked over her, carefully putting his hands on the welts. They were fresh and given the way she pulled back when he tried to look at them, they were still very painful.

"Sit down."

"Huh?"

"Let me take care of all of this." The bigger rodent said as he went for the first-aid kit in their room "Were you in a fight?"

"A-A fight?"

"Yes! I mean-! Those look terrible Minsk an' given what I know 'bout fights-!"

"I-I wasn't in a fight." Minsk whimpered, once again hiding her bruises and marks from the rodent.

"Then what happened?"

"I…I guess I'm just not used to this place…" the female mouse said "And…and I tripped? Got a little lost and the jungle almost got me."

The rat knew this was a story, as Minsk was acting far too timid around him over such a thing.

"Minsk…."

"Y-Yes, Willard?"

"In our old game, ya used ta bump n' bash a lot more than this." The rodent said, looking at the bruise on the mouse's wrist, patching it up "An' outta game? Ya used to do more. Ya used ta handle more."

"That was before it got unplugged…"

"Well….yeah." the rat said sadly, his heart feeling heavy "But either way, why are ya hidin' this stuff from me?"

"B-Because I just don't wanna bother you!" Minsk squeaked, pulling away.

"Hey!"

"L-Look, this is already too much as it is!" the female rodent said, holding her hand away from her partner "You've already done so much for me! Letting me stay with you-!"

"Minsk!" Willard gasped "Why would ya think I WOULDN'T let ya stay with me?! I-! I lo-!"

"I know it was all my fault!" Minsk began to ramble on, Willard hearing her voice crack "If it weren't for me, we wouldn't be in this mess! The game wouldn't have been unplugged and we wouldn't be the only ones left!"

"No, Minsk! That's not what happened!" Willard said, trying to calm the female down "Tha game was just messed up! A factory error! None of us could help it!"

"Then why were the only ones left?!"

Once again the rat was silent, not sure how to make the situation better for his near-crying partner. He sighed, drawing her close for a hug only to feel her body shaking against his.

"I don't have tha answer for that, Minksy. I'm sorry…." He said, his tone soft "I'm….I'm upset too. But I'm glad, even with everythin' that happened. We got out together. An' we found this home together."

"I don't deserve it."

"'Scuse me?"

"I'm just an NPC." Minsk sniffed, her hands clutched "I know I'm not worth anything in the grand scheme of things. Even less now."

"Minksy!"

"You did all the work an' got ignored. I-? I'm nothing. I'm just in the background. I just get scared and-!"

"Minsk, stop." Willard said, putting a finger on the mouse's lips "Don't ya dare say that about yourself! Stop sayin that you're worth nothin'! That no one cares for ya!"

"Who does? Players never did. They never noticed me because-"

"I DO."

The small creature looked up, Willard looking at her with clear eyes.

"Minsk….after everythin' I've been through. After all tha stuff that's still goin' on? Tha best thing in that arcade I have right now is knowin' that you're hear an' that you're-"

Safe?

From the looks of things, Minsk was far from safe but what exactly had happened? Being as shy as she was, Willard knew that Minsk wasn't the type to go looking for trouble and she hardly, if ever, went out of the game by herself and even less so since Rat had begun going on 'errands' with Snake.

Someone had been messing with her but the mouse was scared into silence, as if she really believed that her words were so useless that even Willard wouldn't believe her. It hurt him to his very code seeing her like this, her usual cuteness, of course made up to make the players feel sorry and want to rescue her, tattered and faded, replaced with the same sort of darkness and grey he had observed from the racers in Sugar Rush.

His heart was beating, his brain was running a million miles an hour; something in his gut told him he knew EXACTLY what was going on but now he too was afraid to speak out.

"How about this?" Willard said, sitting on the bed next to Minsk, drawing her closer "I'll stay in tonight with ya. We can watch your favorite movie an' I'll cook us up some four-cheese grilled cheese!"

The rat could see a small smile forming on the mouse's face, her fur turning pink.

"Th-that sounds-!"

"AHEM."

The two looked over, seeing none other than Baston at the door. Minsk nearly turned white, looking panicked as she stood up.

"Baston?" asked Rat.

"Sorry if I'm interruptin' anythin'…." The humanoid baddied said as he looked at the two "But Snake wants ta meet with ya, WILLARD."

The rat scowled a bit, his ears going back as he too blushed but from embarrassment rather than from the goodness of receiving snuggles from the mouse.

"Only from Minsk." He pointed to Baston, standing up and puffing out his thicker and stronger frame "ONLY FROM MINSK."

"Yeah, yeah. I know the rules, lover-boy." Baston chuckled to himself "Just c'mon. He wants us ta be there when he finally gets outta Sugar Rush."

"Why's he still there?" Willard asked, still holding onto Minsk's hand, Baston shrugging his shoulders.

"Somethin' 'bout finishin' up some loose ends or some guff. Plus he wanted ta talk ta that Twiggy Space Cadet."

"Who?"

Baston pushed Willard playfully out the door, letting him take the lead "You're gonna LOVE her nickname, that's for sure."

Willard was already down the hall, knowing that he couldn't bring Minsk to any of his 'meetings'. She peeked through the door, sniffing the air as she wondered just what was going on before-

 _ **WHAP!**_

" _ **AAAAAAAAH!"**_

"Get your nose outta this, NPC." Baston growled, slapping Minsk to the ground "An' if I hear one word outta ya-!"

"No, NO!" Minsk stammered, gripping the covers of the bed as she huddled in fear over the larger character "I won't tell! I won't tell, I promise!"

 _ **WACK!**_

Baston hit the mouse harder, going in with blow after blow, the door shut and no one the wiser to what was going on in the back of the game. Minsk cried out at each hit, Baston's cruel grin growing every time he made contact.

"Stupid, useless NPC!" he cackled "We wouldn't hafta be so careful around if WILLARD hadn't insisted in lettin' ya stay here!"

"STOP! STOOOP!" Minsk cried out, tears flowing down her face just as another slap hit her, knocking her back on the bed before Baston took a hold of her wrist.

"You're too loud!"

"No!"

" _ **YOU'RE TOO LOUD!"**_

"STOP! STOP!" she begged, tears streaming down her face "Why are you doing this?! I-! I never thought I-!"

"Oh, don't tell me NPCs have THOUGHTS!" Baston chuckled, throwing Minsk back "Maybe if ya had THOUGHT a lil more, your game wouldn't have gotten unplugged!"

"It…it wasn't my fault! It-!"

"Aww, don't tell me that ya actually believe that 'factory error' bull that ol' WILLY is givin' ya!"

"But….but that's what happened! I-!"

Baston took Minks by her chin, lifting her head up "Don't let the denial cloud your tiny, lil brain that much, NPC. We all know that in tha big scheme'a things, you were tha reason tha game was unplugged. I mean, ya an' Willy bein' tha ONLY TWO who made it out? Hmmmm, sounds a bit suspicious ta meeeee!"

Minsk had nothing to say, her eyes overflowing with tears as Baston grinned at her, tossing her back onto the bed.

"If WILLARD were to get his right mind back, if he knew EVERYTHIN', ya know he would abandon ya an' he has every right ta do so!"

Minsk shivered in place, gripping her tail hard.

"You're takin' up space that a more deservin' BAD GUY could use right now. Tha mere fact that ya exist is a burden on everyone considerin' how expendable NPCs like ya are."

The mouse shrank down, feeling the weight of Baston's every word.

"But just keep bein' a good lil NPC an' we won't have trouble." The larger baddie smiled, his voice oozing with honey and mud "An' we won't think 'bout givin' Willy tha heave-ho either!"

Minsk was trapped, watching Baston as he slowly shut the door and leaving her alone in the dorm. Once more her body was covered in new bruises but she knew she could not speak. She dare not speak giving the circumstances.

If Willard knew?

Would he be worried?

Would he be angry?

What would he do?

He might leave but that would mean they would be out on the streets again and if another game didn't take them, it was only because of her. Playable characters and bad guys always got first pick when it came to new homes if they were gameless but NPCs?

She had remembered how it went.

The two went from game to game when they were first homeless. Some had rejected Willard due to his bad guy status but others had rejected her as well, stating they didn't want another useless NPC running around. It went back and forth, back and forth until…

Snake.

He had taken them in.

And while at first things had started out well enough….

As time went on.

A punch.

A push.

A slap.

A hit.

All aimed at her, all for the claim of retribution to what 'had happened to bad guys over the years'. Willard had been used as an excuse but most of all Ralph. Ralph had always been brought up whenever she was surrounded, whenever Snake and his buddies needed to take their anger out on her. They'd say that it was because of people like her that Ralph was hated, that because of people like her all bad guys were hated and because of people like her?

She deserved to be hit.

She deserved to be punched.

She deserved every single blow.

She was terrified, scared. She wanted to tell someone but there was nowhere else to go but most of all…

She didn't want to put Willard in danger.

He had finally gotten his glory, his praise and his freedom but if she were to tell him what was going on, it would all come crashing down for him.

And it would be her fault as the others had said.

The small mouse crawled onto the bed and cried, feeling so alone and helpless. She didn't know what to do, she didn't know where to go.

All she knew was that it was her fault.

* * *

"Might wanna watch your feet."

"Oh! Yeah!"

After the heat of the races had died down, Mouse had been escorted to the castle and set up her hub in the blink of an eye. Vanellope and Ralph were left alone to watch her, the Cadet springing back and forth between one screen to another, testing this program and that.

Calhoun seemed to know who to bring into the fold this time.

"Ah, yes! No! No, don't tell me it's blocked! Aurgh, next file! Oooh, I can see this one!"

Ralph found himself growing more and more curious to the inner workings of Sugar Rush, intrigued by how much had been done just to ensure that Turbo could lay claim to everything inside. All his first thoughts and theories on the game were shifting and changing, many rumors he had heard and accepted by those outside being debunked the more Mouse showed him.

"I've got a feeling-" Mouse said, her equipment leading out from the code vault and scattered all over the floors of the throne room "We're standin' on one massive puzzle."

"I don't think I needed a Phd. In 'Cybug Murderin' ta know that, Cadet." Ralph said sarcastically, Mouse smiling up at him.

"Oh-HO, boy! Trust me on this one, Wreck-iI! I've never seen encryptions like this before!"

"Don't tell me Turbo was some sort of idiot savant or somethin'!"

"Not really. More like a….a meanie savant!" the Cadet said "What I'm seeing is that he jumbled everything up like a ball'a Christmas lights in a yarn factory!"

"….that made no sense."

"What I'm saying is that Turbo was going in only half-blind when he set off ta make Sugar Rush in his image, no skills whatsoever-!"

Vanellope was a few yards away from the adults, laying on her stomach on an ottoman and looking as if she were something the candy cats had dragged in. The horrible day was still grating at her, the girl wishing she could do anything to make up for it.

"But he left things in such a mess that even a reset wouldn't clear it."

"I think Sarge said somethin' similar ta that earlier…" Ralph said, rubbing his chin "So in that case, what does this all mean? 'Specially with all tha odd things that have been poppin' up?"

"Running my diagnostics on the game itself, everything has turned up as one-hundred percent original and organic to the programming!"

"So…so that Luzi kid wasn't lying?" Ralph said, feeling nervous.

"This kid…Luigi? Loo….bert? Lousie?"

Vanellope's ears perked; if there was one person she didn't want to hear about, it was Lumi. She had no clue where the boy had gotten off to throughout the day but she could only wonder what he had to say about her once the other racers told their side of the story to him.

This was only making the vanilla racer angrier, just wanting nothing more than the Cadet to rid the game of the boy once and for all but as the information was coming out, it seemed that her worst nightmares were coming true.

She rubbed her temples, wishing that it would all go away in the blink of an eye and she would wake up to where things were normal again.

" _Please, just go back ta your co-!"_

"There's one thing I wanna know."

Vanellope looked over, Ralph and Mouse still talking with each other.

"Yeah, Wreck-It?"

"Those houses. Those areas that popped up whenever one of those kids did somethin' with it." The big man said "Vanellope an' I have been runnin' 'round this place for a year an' nothing popped up. Why now?"

Mouse tapped her crossed arms, looking at the screen in front of her though Ralph could see the smile forming on her face.

"Hehehe, aw yeaaaaah-!"

"Um, I do hope ya know that if ya plant any sorta virus here-?"

"I don't mean ta make light of all'a this, Ralph but-!"

Mouse looked as if she were going to launch herself out of the castle with excitement, Ralph wondering just where in the arcade Calhoun had been storing this woman before.

"Turbo was a creep and all. And I'm sure I have hair-driers that are more technologically advanced than him but-!"

"Yeah, but-?"

"He had to have gotten it from his own game, remembered how to rearrange the code so only-!"

"Mouse Cadet! I mean-! Mouseketter! I mean-!"

"He designated nearly everything' ta react ta his own code!" Mouse blurted out, almost gleefully "It's how he was able to gain so much access and control to a game he had no connection to! From that start, I can bet the grey-face locked everything' up so even Vanellope's code wouldn't trigger it should she go into a certain area!"

"But-!"

The adults looked over, Vanellope glitching before them looking rather upset at what she had heard.

"I-! I know that much! I mean, he kept me outta this place for years!"

"That was unfortunate, the creep." Mouse went on, Ralph seeing her brows furrowing against her goggles again.

"So when tha game rset, why didn't I reset everythin' else? I mean, I'm tha Princess…I mean, I'm SUPPOSED to be the Princess of this game! I should-!"

"Well, here's tha thing." Mouse interrupted "Even if you are the ruler, your code works and reflects the same as every other racer."

Vanellope blanched, once again feeling that terrible feeling in her stomach but this time around? Ralph seemed a lot more interested.

"Really? So Nelly's code doesn't have any extra things ta it? I mean, aside from tha glitch?"

"No, all the racers were coded tha same. Sure, they have different stats an' all'a that but in terms of gainin' access to certain things?"

Mouse stepped back, trying to find a better way to explain herself.

"Lemme put it put it like this. Every racer here has their specific track, specific area, specific things all made just for them."

"Ah-huh?" Ralph nodded.

"Vanellope only has access to HER things, no one else's an' tha same goes for the other racers. If the code does not line up, they wouldn't be able to get it. So if Vanellope tried to access something that was for, uh, that….really angry green girl."

"Minty." Ralph corrected, Vanellope feeling a bit surprised that he said her name so calmly.

"Yeah, her!" Mouse nodded, a smile on her face "If Vanellope tried to access Minty's area, even as the Princess she wouldn't be able to since her code would not have lined up."

"An-!"

Ralph's eyes began to light up, his brain clicking with Mouse's.

"That was good enough for Turbo!"

"W-What, Stink-Breath?"

"Holy coconuts!" Ralph said, feeling like he wanted to jump up and down as well "If he couldn't delete her, he could block her! Take her access key an' use it for his own code an' then do tha same with tha others! Add in a lil mind-lock an' FFFT! He WAS tha king of tha castle!"

"An' we have a winn'ar!" Mouse sang, rushing up and high-fiving Ralph, the man looking in surprise "Ya catch on fast, Ralph. Maybe ya should come over to HD for a spin and take a few more course."

"Um, thanks!"

"Like I said, Turbo may have been an amateur in some areas but he knew what he was doing and most importantly, what he wanted. He snipped Vanellope of everything, including her spot. He then did the same with the racers but in the case he had to keep them onboard so no would get too suspicious of too many kids missing."

Ralph nodding, knowing he had fallen hard for the guise for years, not at all giving a care of what kids were racing even if Vanellope's picture were right there in front of him.

"All the while he had full access and control to hide and manipulate every inch of the game with no one asking questions because they couldn't remember, even their own history!"

Ralph shook his head, looking angry "I knew that creep was dirty but he's gone-! He DID all'a this ta kids? All because he just wanted ta race again?"

"Well, people get desperate when they game-jump."

Boy, did Ralph know that feeling.

"An' on the case of that Lumi kid. Sarge an-!"

Mouse was trying to remember another racer, her mind going blank.

"Um…who was that kid? Green hair?"

"Minty? Candlehead? Sakura, maybe?"

"No, no. Boy. Smirks a lot. But I have seen the angry green girl call him nerd a lot!"

"Swizzle." Vanellope said, her voice low "Ya talkin' 'bout Swizzle?"

"Yeah! Sarge told me that he did a lil look through of Luni's code a while back and he was right on that much! Loo….-kid IS an unused asset. Everything about him is finished but because the game was rushed out, heh pardon the pun if ya will, he wasn't put in as an official racer. Though someone who knew what they were doing could come in and put him the hard way. It would take some time but if they did it correctly, he'd be added to the roster, no problem!"

"I guess that explains what happened when he did try ta race." Ralph said.

"Oh?"

"Yeah, he did make a cart an' tha kids did try ta race with him but somethin' happened! It rocked every bit of tha game an' Vanellope-!"

The big man looked down at his friends, seeing the look of wariness on her face. Perhaps he was going at it too fast, giving out too much information but given the circumstances-

"Let's just say it didn't end well for anyone involved."

"Ah, yes. That's because his code isn't hooked back up properly to the game."

"Is there a way we can do it?"

"Ralph!"

The big man looked down, Vanellope now looking at him with massive eyes.

"Yeah, kid?"

"Are ya tellin' me-? Ya actually want Lumi ta be in tha game?"

"Well-?"

Ralph rubbed the back of his head, remembering the tension that had formed between everyone since the arrival of the boy. It wasn't as if he couldn't lie to himself as he had been in the middle of many of the fights and given the way the boy had acted towards him and Vanellope, there was still a line of distrust he felt.

But at the same time, knowing that the boy could possibly function within the game, knowing that he was now out and required some sort of connection he was in a bind.

What was the right thing to do in this situation?

When it came time for the inevitable question should he let the boy stay in the game, connection him to the core or would there be another excuse, something that would keep the boy out of not only his home but his purpose?

As much as Ralph had been irked by the boy, knowing that he stood in the way of allowing him to do as his code said made him feel a tad guilty. It brought to mind what had happened to Vanellope as well as the actions he took in destroying her kart.

Was it really that different?

Here was another kid, ditched by Turbo, in another situation that required some outside forces to help. Even if Lumi had gotten on his bad side, it nearly was the same situation.

But was he going to let his dislike for the racer stop him from doing the right thing?

Vanellope on the other hand…

She was upset, she was angry. This was not what she had anticipated to happen. She wanted things to return to normal, her game to reset but she had never expected other racers!

Or…

She had never expected other racers who weren't IMPRESSED by her.

And then there were Snake's words. He had constantly spouted how Lumi was a virus, something implemented by Turbo to take control over the game again and given how easily things appeared to happening for the other racers, the vanilla girl was starting to wonder if the reptile could be right about things.

There was something wrong about all of this; another racer? Okay, possibly. Sure? But then there was everything else that was popping up along with him. It was way too convenient for Vanellope's liking, especially given that everything that popped up came in the favor of the other racers. So far, there was little to nothing that connected back to her.

And the same went for Lumi.

No clues for him? No signs for him? He had stated he lived by the sea but it could have been a ploy, a lie to lull the others into trust and given how mad they were at Vanellope, it would be no surprise that they fell for someone who was so loudly against her.

Vanellope had lost her game to someone for nearly two decades and she wasn't about to have a repeat of it.

"So, if I have all of this down….Turbo put another layer of in-crypt-shun that only he could get through on this game?"

"Seems to look like that." Mouse said, nodding her head.

"But tha reset weakened it an' whenever one of those kids comes across those areas, they trigger somethin' tha does bring it back up….but there's still some sorta failsafe on it, once again thanks to our friendly neighbor psycho."

"Yup-yup-yup!"

Ralph breathed out, his head starting to hurt "Yeah, I'm inta WRECKIN'. Not TECHIN'."

"Pffft, please tell me ya said that by accident."

"Ya know, everyone gets on me for doin' that. Sorceresses teases me endless 'bout those slip-ups! I can't help it! I-!"

"Wreck-It? Pressssssident?"

The trio turned, a snakely figure slithering up to the chamber doors. Eyes scanned the room, only to narrow as they looked upon the Hero's Duty equipment and character.

"What isssss going on here?"

Ralph felt his fingers curl into a fist, something that even he had not anticipated himself in doing whenever Snake had arrived but to his surprise Mouse smiled, as she seemed to be in the habit of doing.

"H'lo, sir!" the said, standing in position as she saluted "Cadet Olivia Orzela but you can call me Mouse for short! Hero's Duty OP and top tech whiz!"

She snickered, waving a hand towards her clothing.

"Only tech whiz to be truthful. An' I know I don't look the part but given it was such a nice night, I decided to dress down an-!"

"Wassss there sssssomething planned about that I wassss not informed of?" the boss hissed as he slithered in, already showing his disdain for the Cadet as he glided past her and stopped right in front of the code vault curtains "What is all thisss equipment and why are YOU here?"

"Well, as I said. I am here from Hero's Duty to-!"

"I thought you Hero'sssss Duty fellowsssss got the messsssage before." Snake barked at the slim OP, trying to force her back "We don't allow rough-housssserssss here."

Mouse stood her ground, more confused by the snake than anything "But Sarge sent me here."

"What? To spy?!"

"No, of course not." The woman replied with surprising calm "With all tha activity that was going on, she wanted me to check to see if there were any other internal issues going on with the game an-!"

"Now that isssss sssssomething I can actually agree with." Snake said, backing off just a tad and resting a hand under his chin "There have been isssssuessss around here. Thingssss that have essscaped the Pressssident'ssss eyesssss."

"Wait, ya saw things?" Ralph said, looking down at Snake, the reptile sneering "Why didn't ya tell us, Snakey?"

"For one thing, I had already taken care of thesssssse isssssuessssss….."

Vanellope gulped; knowing Snake's methods, that couldn't be a good thing.

"Ssssssome. Ssssssome I should ssssssay."

"Oooh, sounds bad." Mouse began, typing out a few things on her com "Look, I'm here to help and I wanna get this game running back to normal as soon as possible! If you saw anything out of the ordinary, let me know! It'll help greatly!"

Ralph snorted lightly, the others not seeing him frown as he was now having his doubts on how well Snake could help anyone.

"If thisssss isssss about that kid, that virusssssss-"

"Virus?"

"Yesssss, the green boy."

"Swizzle?"

"No!" Snake growled angrily at Mouse "The new one! The one who hasssss been making the claimssss that Vanellope actually sharesssss the game with thosssse otherssssss!"

"Um, she kinda does." Mouse went on "I mean, how it works is really interesting if you let me explain it-!"

"Ma'am, you asssssked me if I had worriesssss or if I have sssssseen issssssuesssss?"

"Yeah?"

"It'sssss thosssssse Placeholderssssssss."

Ralph and Vanellope could see the sickening smile of Snake's lips but he didn't seem to notice their reactions, his eyes still set on the perplexed Cadet.

"Placeholders? What 'placeholders'?"

"Thosssse other bratsssssss." Snake said, calmly and coolly "Their code hasssss alwaysssss been corrupt sssssince the beginning."

"Not from what I've been able to dig up." The woman said, oblivious to the insults that Snake was hurling towards her "With the exception of Vanellope, Lumi and another racer, I've found no-!"

"I am sssssure whatever insssightssss you have are….fassssinating." the snake said rudely towards the Cadet "But if you want sssssomething to fix, you can ssssstart by removing and rewiring thossssse unsssightly garbage areasssss that have ssssprouted up in Vanellope'sssss kingdom."

"Garbage areas?" Mouse said, watching Snake as he slithered around her "What are you talking about? The dump? That's placed in the right-!"

"Um, Snake?" Ralph said, stepping over to the two "We've already discussed this an' Mousey here has confirmed for us that those 'areas' actually do belong ta tha game, one-hundred percent."

"Oh, that isssss imposssssible." Snake snorted "Asssss if thossssssse bratsssss were given anything at all other than their ssssilly namesssss and jaloppopiesssss."

"Um, isn't that the point?" Mouse shrugged "I mean, no offense kid, Vanellope Von Schweetz is a silly a name as something like…um, Smourice Toastygram or something."

"None taken." Vanellope sighed "Though nice touch comin' up with that on tha fly."

"Vanellope'ssss name exudesssss her true sssstatusssss in this ssssweet world! It accentuatesssss the royal blood that flowssss through her!"

Ralph stood idely by, more entertained than irritated at this point.

"I mean who would want to be named sssssomething like Rainbau? Or Zaki? And of coursssse, we can't for get, Muttonflub."

" _Fudge…."_ Vanellope said under her breath, looking down at the floor _"Taffyta Praline Muttonfudge…."_

"Really? Think about it? What good isssss giving ssssssome like them their own areassss? Their own homesssss? They're made only to beat, to have asssss decoreationssss ssssso playersssss can race with Vamellope. The besssst thing to do with them isss sssstore them in the garage once your down with them. That'sssss the mossst ssssensssible thing if you assssk me."

"I regret doin' so." Mumbled Ralph.

Once again, Snake was laying it on for his disdain for the racers but the reaction he got from both his 'buddies' were different this time.

Rather than agreement, Ralph gave Snake a look of annoyance. Maybe those words would have worked earlier but Raphe had seen too much and given that his nose was still very sore, he felt too much as well.

And Vanellope?

Vanellope felt she had to do something, to say something but after the talk she had been given by the reptile she now felt a new sense of guilt. If she were to tell Snake to stop, did that mean she was taking away his voice, his freedom that he had been denied in the past due to his status? Part of her knew and felt that what Snake was saying was wrong, that he knew nothing about the game he had forced himself into but she was now too scared to say anything.

He was still her friend, right?

Then why did it feel so wrong?

Mouse was keen to the Snake's motives, not liking the way he was dismissing her findings so quickly but she kept her wits about her, not allowing the snake to bring out the worst in her.

"You'd be surprised on what you can find with a lil tinkering." The woman said, a little teasing tone in her voice "An' hey, if I did deep enough I could uncover more for Vanellope!"

"Hah, asssss if everything here doesssssn't already belong to her." The scaly boss said, smiling cockily "It issss her casssstle, her kingdom, her race. End of story. That'sssss it."

"I know I may be an outta-gamers…." Mouse said, her smiling bringing some ease to both Ralph and Vanellope "But I kinda took notice in something."

"Oh?" Snake said, turning around.

"This game….it's so amazing. Even if it is older than ours-!"

"HEY!"

"It holds so much!" Mouse went on "Even with the little information I was able to find, I have a feeling there is so much more under our feet but we need to unearth it. To finally set things right!"

Ralph was feeling antsy again but in a good way. For some reason, Mouse was getting his blood pumping as he thought about going across the entire game and uncovering more things and not just for Vanellope.

For every single citizen in Sugar Rush.

Just how large was the game? It was much larger than his own home but knowing it could expand, that it could grow bigger? Just how much did Turbo bury in order to keep himself ahead? Had he really squashed the sweet world down just so he could get his chuckles in a few races?

Big ego, small mind.

"I hope you don't mind, kid!"

"Um, 'bout what?"

"Just me rambling on like this!" Mouse laughed to herself again "You know what? Yeah. YEAH! Going beyond the call'a duty on this one! I wanna see this through to the end!"

Vanellope's eyes began to light up "So-? So you'll help me? You'll help us restore everythin'?"

"Till I can't walk anymore!" Mouse laughed powerfully before looking at Ralph "Up for the same thing, Wreck-It?"

The big man gave the smaller woman a powerful grin "Do ya even hafta ask?"

"Great!" Mouse cheered "The only thing now is we gotta get the rest'a kids together! I need to ask them some questions as well!"

"You're making thisssss all a lot more complicated than it should be."

Snake once again poked his head in, scowling at the Cadet.

"Begging your pardon, Sir. But I-!"

"I can believe that there were a few thingsssss missssplaced here and there, thankssss in part to Turbo." Snake hissed "But how can you even think that the ressssst of thossssse bratsssss can contribute anything, esssspecially sssssince they're the onesssss who let Turbo in!"

"Snake, we don't even know if that's what happened." Ralph scowled, his voice raising in anger "I know you're not on good terms with those kids but you're takin' a bit off the deep end with those tales, ya know?"

"But Wreck-It, it issss the truth. Don't deny it that you feel that way about them."

Mouse could see Ralph blushing a bit, the man feeling a little punched down but after a small breath-

"Maybe I did." He went on "Maybe I did once….but right now, this isn't tha time ta knock those kids about. We've got bigger things a deal with here."

"They could alwaysssss usssse a good knocking. Given how they treated Vanellope." Snake chuckled again, Mouse perturbed by what she was listening to "Perhapssss I can give you a bit of advice, Cadet."

"Uh, sure. Let's hear it."

"If you catch the virusssss…" Snake said, moving in closer "Sssstring him up for usssss."

"Excuse me?"

"He won't be of any usssse given what he really issss ssssso once the truth doessss come out, perhapssss it would be besssst to disssssssect him. Saaaaave the partsssss for further dissssplay. Make an example out of him to remind thossssse other bytessssss not to messsss with ussssss."

US?

Was Snake trying to rope Mouse in with his madness?

"It wasssss nice meeting you, Cadet." Snake said, taking Mouse's hand and giving it a cold shake "You ssssseem like a nice one. No offenssssse to you, but your Ssssargent? Ssssshe wassssn't too friendly towardsssss bad guysssss like me and Ralph. It'ssss sssssuch a shame that the truth got out about her, but you? I can tell you're one of the good onesssss and we could alwaysssss ussssse another one like you in our group."

Mouse said nothing but Ralph took notice of her expression, the scowl she gave all telling to what she was really feeling.

"S'cool, uh, Mr….Snake." The woman said, picking up one of her many mini-computers and heading towards the chamber doors "Right now though? I wanna check in on another part of the castle, I mean if you don't mind?"

Vanellope flustered a bit "N-no, no! Scan away! If anyone gives ya trouble, let me know!"

"Definitely." The Cadet returned "Then we can see the other kids? I mean, if you're not too tired."

Vanellope raised a finger but Snake leapt before her "Do not worry, Cadet. We'll make ssssure everyone is taken care of."

The giant doors shut, leaving Ralph and Vanellope alone with Snake, their 'friend'.

"Well, it ssssseemssss thingsssss have taken a rather interessssting turn, have they not Presssident?"

Vanellope didn't reply, feeling nervous to even look Snake directly in the eyes as he leered at her, putting his hand down upon the child's head and only serving to make Ralph feel even more uncomfortable.

"Ah, there isssss no harm done. And bessssides. We cannot let the idea of virussssesssss and Placeholderssss cloud our mind for tomorrow'ssss racessss."

"U-uh, yeah." Vanellope meeped to herself, her stomach starting to ache.

"You really showed thossssse bratsssss their place! You should have ssssseen her Ralph!"

"I did catch tha final game." The big man grumped, crossing his arms "Includin' a lil bit where some friends of yours decided to mark up a certain racer's kart?"

"I guesssss we can't win them all." Snake sang to himself, ignoring Ralph's comment "But we'll get them tomorrow! No one messssss with Team Von Schweetz!"

"Y-Yeah…." The girl shuddered "Go Team Von Schweetz….go….."

After some time Ralph was thankfully able to convince Snake to leave but in doing so he had once again left Vanellope by herself. It didn't matter if the girl were surrounded by staff or had Sour Bill residing along with her in the massive castle.

She could not deny it; she was lonely.

And she was worried.

* * *

"How is everyone?" asked Rancis as he looked over at Swizzle.

The rest of the racers were huddled up in the tree house, many mummers going about as the lollipop racer lowered his head sadly.

"It's bad." Swizzle said "Really bad for all three of 'em."

Taffyta looked around, noticing a sizable chunk of the roster were now missing from the group. She scowled, laying all her blame upon Vanellope and her miserable 'friends'.

"If ya can believe it…." Swizzle continued "Cissy's got it tha best."

"After that crash-?!"

"Just a sprained arm. Doc said that it would take a few days for it ta ease up an' she'd be ready to race again but Snowy and Tori?"

Everyone heard Swizzle's voice break when he mentioned Torvald, the other Mint sisters gone as well.

"Snowanna's got a busted leg. It's gonna take a few weeks ta heal 'less she gets a Golden Heal Seeker but ya know how much those things are!"

"You mean to tell us Snowy doesn't have money saved up to buy one?" Nougetsia asked "She's always has something saved up!"

"She's been spendin' whatever coins she had on repairs." Swizzz answered "I know enough of it. When she ran out, she came to ME for help, she was that desperate."

"Well, isn't that a good thing?" asked Rancis "I mean, you're one of the people in the arcade we trust with our cars."

Sakura rolled her eyes "On some occasions, darling. Need we go back to that time Mr. Malarkey here thought it was a good idea to install giant subwoofers in the back of my kart?"

"An' a lotta the things I did see?" the lollipop racer contined "Ya know Snake an' his buddies were behind it. I offered to do it for free but she said no, kept giving me coins an'….an'…."

The boy leaned back, his hands clutched together.

"Yeah, a Sweet Heal is way out of her price range now."

Rancis nodded sadly "And….And Torvald?"

Swizz took a deep breath "Busted both legs, broke her left arm and right hand."

The others looked wide-eyed in horror. Even in all their years of racing they had never seen or experienced anyone with such injures before.

"It doesn't end there." The boy went on "Somethin' happened with her shoulders and neck as well. She's gonna be out for a least a month! Or even longer than that!"

"And I am under the impression that she too does not have enough saved up to afford a Sweet Heal?" asked Crumbellina, the boy next to her shaking his head no.

"Wh-why don't we just ask Mr. Felix to fix her?" meeped Adorabeezle, Gloyd shooting a glance at her.

"Are ya kiddin', Beezie?! He'd never help us!"

"H-he helped us before." The girl shivered shily "And…and what about that time he helped you when you found your house-cart?"

Gloyd stopped, remembering what Felix had told him and Candlehead that day. Of all the goodliest good guys in the place, why would Gloyd all of a sudden show such distrust towards him? The big boy pouted, flicking up the rim of his hat.

"M-Maybe….but they'll start sayin' things like how we're abusin' his powers or somethin'."

"I don't think it would happen like-!"

"I just don't wanna risk it. All that stuff was said before his wify-face got thrown in tha slammer…"

"She's just stuck in her own game, Gloyd."

"I still don't wanna risk it! He'll get mad at us, for sure!"

"Is it that?" asked Crumbellina, walkng up to the boy, her voice making him nervous "Or perhaps…."

"W-What is it, Crumbz?"

"You just don't want to overwork him." The girl said "You want him to come but you feel as if he's done so much for you already. That you need to do something for him before you ask anymore favors, am I not cor-?"

"AAAAARUGH! STOP WITH THE CREEPY BRAIN-READIN', CRUMBZ!"

Taffyta moaned "It's bad enough they're hurt and knowing their sisters, they might stay outta the races too."

"Oh, Stix can't even bring herself to racin'! She doesn't even want ta leave tha hospital." Swizzle continued "An' Juju is on the fence as well! An' when I saw Candlehead an' Lumi-!"

"Wait a sec!"

Everyone turned their heads towards Taffyta, the girl looking stunned.

"You mean to tell me you saw both of 'em at the hospital? What were they doing there?!"

"Ya didn't know?" Asked Swizzle "Lumi got thrashed around too!"

"By WHO!?"

"Do ya really need ta ask?"

The strawberry racer sat back, trying her best to contain her anger.

"How bad is it?"

Once more Swizz shook his head "Bad-bad. I couldn't see much but whoever got to 'em? They did a worker on him. An' he's not talkin' that's for sure and that's even if he wanted to! Accordin' to one of the docs there, they messed up his throat real bad!"

Taffyta was having trouble keeping her rage down, wanting nothing more than to kick the table out the window.

"This is what we get…." She growled "This is what we get for trustin' a broken, spoiled GLITCH as our leader!"

"Taffyta, calm down!"

"Not this time, Rancy!" the girl yowled, pushing the boy back "I've been calm long enough!"

Sakura fanned her face as she leaned over to Crumbellina "She calls this calm, darling?"

"They know what they're doing! They know what they're doing to everyone here but they want us to take it! They want us to just stand around as they keep knocking us into the ground! And look what's happening! They're whittling us down to nothing!"

Taffyta scanned the area, taking in the sight. The treehouse was big enough to house all the racers but now they were cut down to a measly eight.

"Ya know, if this were a few months ago….I wouldn't have believed it." Said Swizz but as everyone turned they noticed how dark his eyes were becoming "But after what they did to Tori-!"

"It's not just 'them'." Taffyta continued "We all know it begins at one source, one GLITCH."

Rancis wasn't feeling too comfortable "Taffyta. She….You just can't-!"

"Oh, stuff it! _**GLITCH, GLITCH, GLITCH! STUPID USELESS GLITCH!**_ That's Vanellope Von Cheatz to a T!"

"Taffyta!"

"I'm sick of bein' nice about all'a this. Going around with our tails between our legs as Vanello-Gitch whines and cries whenever she doesn't get her way! No more! I'm sick of this! I'm sick of all of this!"

"But what do you expect us to do?" asked Nougetsia "It feels like every day a little more is taken from us."

Taffyta thought and thought, looking down at the group before her, seeing the many missing heads.

Citrusella was injured, Jubileena with her…

Torvald was in the same situation, Minty and Sticky staying by their sisters in vigil.

Snowanna was all by herself, perhaps one or two of her candies staying by her side…

And there was Lumi and Candlehead…

Candlehead had already taken herself out of the races over fear and Lumi had been forced out de facto. Their numbers were indeed shrinking and in the center of Taffyta's code she knew Vanellope was behind all of it. She knew the vanilla racer was getting her kicks from watching the other racers break down one by one and if she couldn't get them mentally, she would find a way to break them physically.

Snake.

It was why she had given him so much freedom.

Even when Turbo was in charge, during those long empty years, he had never gone to such lengths to scare the racers.

He had never-!

He had…

Everyone looked over at the strawberry girl, seeing the anger leeching out of her. She now looked sad, upset….

Weak.

"Taff?" Rancis asked cautiously "You okay, luv?"

Was she okay?

Taffyta was far from okay.

Everyone could say what they wanted about the racers, making so many claims about what they did and did not do but after this point, after seeing just how willing everyone was to thrash the racers outright, Taffyta was going to make her stand.

She didn't know how.

She didn't know when.

But she was going to do it.

She owed it to the others, as a means of apologizing for much of the pain they felt because they choose to remain friends with her. She couldn't lie to herself, knowing that most of the bullying they received was directly because of that.

They always got hurt when they defended her.

They always got hurt when they spoke up for her.

Whenever they tried to be nice, to be brave, to make her happy….

There were so many who hated it.

They didn't want to see the racers happy.

They didn't want to see Taffyta happy.

They wanted to see them suffer and the best way to make Taffyta suffer?

Hurt those she cared the most about.

This was the last straw. She had taken her licks, she had allowed Vanellope to have her fun but knowing that more racers had been hurt on her watch, that people refused to let them do anything about it?

They were going to see just what a 'real bully' could do.

"Taff, say something." Rancis said in worry "Don't leave us like this."

Leave?

That would have been the easy thing to do.

But it would have also been the lazy thing to do and if there was one thing Taffyta was not, it was lazy.

Suddenly she remembered something, something important. Something that Lumi had told her and the others some time ago.

The strike.

She remembered the story, or at least Lumi's story, about the fish. How his 'parents' had taken it upon themselves to inform the Royals they weren't going to be used when they were putting their livelihoods in danger.

The racers were in danger.

Their racing careers were in danger.

And all it took for things to get fixed in Lumi's story was….

Taffyta ran for the door of the tree house, the others watching her in surprise.

"Taff? Where are ya goin'?"

"We need ta get tha others!" the strawberry racer said as she prepared to slide down "I gotta idea!"

* * *

" _M-mm-mmmom?"_

Not mom.

A nurse.

Lumi's vision came too, seeing the bright lights around him and a candy nurse over his bed.

"Feeling better, young man?"

Lumi tried to sit up but his entire body was still aching. He reached up, feeling the bandages on his chest. He coughed, his throat still hurting but not as badly as it had when he was brought in.

"That was some fight you got into." The nurse said, checking a few vitals on the boy "But to brave so many Crispies to save Candlehead."

"Cr-cripsies?"

The Crispies?

They were all the way back in the quagmires of the Sugar Rush dump. Who could have-?

The boy looked over, Candlehead sleeping on the tiny guest couch in his room.

" _Candles-!"_

"Ah-ah-ah!" said the nurse, wagging a finger near the boy "You need to rest and recover. If you go about bouncing around, you'll pop every stitch we put on you."

Lumi could only dread how bad his injuries were, unable to see himself in the mirror.

" _Hooo-hoooow long am I gonna be here?"_ he asked in a hoarse voice.

"Hopefully if things check out, maybe another day or so but once you do get out, you'll still need rest Mr.-?"

The nurse looked up, suddenly realizing that she had no idea who the boy was.

This was awkward.

Lumi lowered his head _"Lumi…my…my name is Lumi, I think."_

"Oh. Right." The candy coughed, going over his chart "Well, Mr. Lumi. Just rest. I know it's not as good as Sweet Heal but you kids need to learn how to be patient when it comes to your health and healing. Just reaching for a power-up every time you scrap your knees won't cut it."

Lumi listened as the candy woman prattled on but out of the corner of his eye….

Swizzle?

Swizzle, Gloyd and Nougetsia walked down the hall, the three of them heading into Torvald's room but Gloyd stood out and guarded the place. He could hear Minty going about, roaring as she always did when she got worked up but before he knew it, she came stomping out, dragging Swizzle with her. The four then disappeared around the corner, Lumi left to wonder what was happening this time.

"Are you allergic to anything?"

"Ah-! N-no…" the boy said.

"Okay, then we'll prescribe you some medication to prevent an infection from setting in."

Lumi looked at Candlehead again, the girl so peaceful which was something that he hadn't seen for a while. She didn't have to take him to the hospital nor did she have to come up with a story to cover up Snake's tail. She knew what had happened, she knew who had done this to him but she was still cornered with fear to tell the truth. He scowled, gripping his blankets.

" _Yeah, there's an infection here alright…."_ He growled _"An' if it's tha last thing I'll do, I'm gonna rid this game of it."_


	32. Chapter Thirty One- Vote or Drive

Chapter Thirty One- Vote or Drive

Vanellope felt as if she had only closed her eyes for a moment but morning had come once again. She knew there was a challenge waiting for her outside, her heart beating like a drum at the thought of confronting the other racers again but if she didn't want to throw off the players, she was going to have to face them whether she liked it or not.

"C'mon, Vanellope. Don't let this get to you." She said to herself, hands shivering as she got ready to go "They're….they're your friends. They'll understand!"

Friends?

Could she even still use that term around them?

"Stop it, Vanellope! STOP IT!" she said to herself, gritting her teeth and stomping out of the castle "Ya've beaten 'em! Ya've run circles 'round 'em! Ya can face 'em dead-!"

"Good morning, Pressssident!"

The girl screamed and glitched, turning around to see Snake once more beating her to the castle doors. She held tight to her helmet, coming to a stand after a few seconds.

"G-G-Geeze, warn someone when you're gonna do that, okay?"

"Oh, I am sssssorry." Snake apologized with a smile "I jusssst wanted to arrive on time to ssssee that thingsssss are up and running perfectly for you."

"Yeeaaaah, good." The vanilla racer nodded as she strolled with the boss down towards the track "Maybe this time things will go smoother. I mean, tha guys have tha know-how of how things are gonna run from now on, so they can-!"

"If they ssssso much asssss dissssobey a sssssingle order-" Snake smiled sinisterly, curling his clawed hands "I'll make sssssure they won't be able ta hold a sssssteering wheel for the ressssst of their pixelated-!"

"Snake, hold back."

The larger character looked down, surprised to see Vanellope looking so panicked.

"Look, I know tha deal I made with ya but-!"

"Yesssss, Pressssident?"

The girl was panting, feeling so nervous and as she looked she just could not believe it. Only months before, she had seen Snake as a friend, as a confidant. One of the few in the arcade who knew what it felt like to be an outcast along with Ralph….

But now?

Now it felt as if she didn't know the creature anymore, his demeanor around her feeling far more threatening despite the promises he made towards her. Now all of a sudden, Snake was a much bigger fear to conquer than the racers.

"S-Snake, ease up on the guys. Okay?"

"But what if they sssstart to roughhousssse again?"

"I can handle it." The girl breathed out, patting her chest "I can handle it so I don't think you're gonna need ta do those lil road sweeps again."

"Are you certain? I mean they were doing so well before."

"Were they, Snake?" Vanellope mumbled "Ya saw tha way tha players reacted. They got-? Well, they were kinda T-ed. No, REALLY T-ed when your boys kept pullin' 'em over."

"That wasssss only if they picked thosssse inferior racerssss." Snake said with a scoff "You'd think by the third race they'd sssssee that YOU were the right pick the entire time."

"Snake, I don't think ya get it."

"What don't I get, Presssident?" the creature cooed.

"Er, maybe it's because of your own format but here? I need tha team work. Tha big thing with this game is anyone can be who they want. If it suddenly just got all about me then we'd lose a lotta people."

"Hmmph, playerssss should be honored to pick you." Snake went on, giving a snort "If any player worth their ssssalt knew any better, they'd only pick you for every turn."

"It's a two-player game." Vanellope said, her voice dropping "This isn't like Turbo Time an' even then he was tha challenger. Sugar Rush is all 'bout havin' fun an' gettin' ta pick your favorite flavor and racer. Not everyone likes vanilla."

"But it issss the bessssst and mosssst pure flavor." Snake went on "The only royal flavor and the only one worth anything."

Maybe sometime ago Snakes doting on Vanellope would have made her feel better….

But given how the others had started to treat her because of it…..

"Ya know what, Snakey?" Vanellope said, picking up the pace "Forget it. You're just doin' your job an' we can-"

As both rounded the corner, they were greeted by a surprising sight.

The surprised of not a single kart at the starting line.

"What tha-?"

"Where issss everyone?" Snake said, looking around "They do know they have to be here on time, right? Even they couldn't be that sssstupid."

"Snakey, chill." The vanilla racer said as she moved forward, keying her sights on the garage "I betcha they're getting' their karts ready!"

"Or arming them with cheating devicesssss." Snake grumbled "You can never put it passsss characterssss like them."

The two made their way quickly to the garage but when Vanellope opened the doors….

Empty.

Now she was getting worried, the guys never being so late on a work day.

"Somethin's not right." The girl said, growing more and more concerned "We gotta find 'em!"

"Should I ssssend out the otherssss?"

"No, not now!" Vanellope said, running with Snake behind her "I gotta feelin' that they're close enough!"

The two made their way into the village circle, Vanellope looking all about for any sign of the other racers but she found none. A few tiny candy people were making their way towards the track to fill up the bleachers but not a hair of a candy racer could be seen. Vanellope blanched, the hair on the back of her neck starting to rise in anxiousness.

" _Guys?"_

"Where are they?!" Snake hissed in anger, his claws clicking against each other "I knew they were moronic but don't tell me they-!"

"Wait!"

Vanellope thought for a moment, remember that a three of the racers had been sent to the hospital due to the 'unfortunate' accidents of the previous roster racers. She shuddered, remembering the crash as it replayed in her mind but she had a hunch….

"C'mon!"

Both she and Snake took off, bypassing the village shops and going to Gingerbread General.

"Why in the arcade are we here?" Snake asked, showing a surprising amount of confusion, a rarity given his usual mood.

Vanellope said nothing as she rushed in, looking all around. On the first floor, nothing. On the second, nothing as well.

" _I don't even know where they are…."_ The girl realized to herself, the pit in her stomach turning into a grand canyon _"Any accident I would have gotten in, they'd know my room number but I don't even know-!"_

"Be careful with that!"

The vanilla racer squeaked, seeing a candy nurse and doctor passing by her.

"Oh, excuse me?"

"Yes, Miss Von Schw-?"

"PRESSSSSIDENT!" Snake forcefully corrected, once again bowling Vanellope over "I am aware that thisssss issss a place of great importance but it issss alssssso important that you addressssss your leader CORRECTLY!"

"Snake, I just wanna find out where the guys are! Don't-!"

"You mean the other racers? I've seen them."

Vanellope's eyes lit up as she looked at the doctor "Where are they?!"

"Sixth floor." She pointed "In fact, all of them are there."

"Wait, ALL of them? EVERYONE?"

Snake hissed to himself another laugh "Ooooh, dear. I wonder what could have befallen thossssse clumssssy little cavitiesssss now?"

Given the tone that Snake was using, Vanellope could only imagine the worse had happened why she slept.

"Oh dearie, me!" sang the nurse "It's the most precious thing!"

"Wait, what?"

A few moments later, Vanellope and Snake were lead to the sixth floor, the sound of laughing candy children filling the room and all around them were the racers, dressed in pjs while the likes of Torvald, Snowanna and Citrusella sat resting in their chairs, bandaged up.

It was a sight to behold, Vanellope finding that she had no words to what she was witnessing.

And then she looked to the side.

Lumi.

He too was bandaged up but any signs of sadness were now gone, the boy playing with two bon-bon babies as he pretended to fish with them.

"An' then ya cast off!" he said as best he could as not to stress out his throat, the children squealing in glee as his toy hook and line snagged one of their toys, the group watching as he reeled it in "But ya should see it out on tha water. It's even better!"

"HEY!"

The room went silent, everyone inside looking over at Vanellope…

"And then the lazy grasshopper realized that he had no one to get him food….."

Vanellope looked over, Taffyta reading a story to a few other candies and not at all paying her any mind. She scowled, knowing that the strawberry racer was doing so on purpose.

"Taffyta…."

"Hmmm?" the girl said, looking up calmly "Oh, Vanellope. I didn't see ya there!"

Likely story.

Vanellope scanned the room again, not exactly how to respond to what she was looking at. The group had to be aware that there was a race coming up, they had to have known that even if they had missed the final call for a complete roster, they would still be needed to complete the slots, even with the amount of racers that were missing.

This wasn't right.

At least in terms of skipping the race as Vanellope felt a tug in her middle given that the others were helping candy kids in the hospital but the big question was why of all times did they choose to do so now.

She forced a smirk, once again showing her hands in her pocket as she got into her trademark pose.

"Um, doin' some volunteer work or somethin'?"

"I guess you could call it that." Taffyta replied tartly "I mean, you're so busy hanging out with your new friends, some of us have to do something to actually help people inside the game, PREZ."

Measured breathes, Vanellope.

She's just trying to get to you.

Vanellope's teeth pressed together hard wither fake grin, her toes glitching in her boots from her annoyance.

"That's….cool, Taff. That's very cool." She grunted "But maybe ya can do this later? We have ta get ready for tha races!"

"We do?" Taffyta gasped, her shock as fake as Vanellope's grin "That's strange…."

"What's strange?"

"From the way you and your friends have been going about-!" the white-haired race began "From the way you've been talking about us and the way you've been acting-!"

"Taffyta, just say it!"

"We thought you didn't need us!"

The vanilla racer glitched harder, her face dropping "Wh-what do ya mea-?"

"Guys?" Taffyta said, looking back at the others "How many times have we been told that Vanellope can carry the races by herself? That she doesn't need us?"

Minty crossed her arms, standing before her younger sisters protectively and glaring something awful at Vanellope.

"Ooooh, maybe a hundred? Maybe even more?"

The group murmured among themselves, nodding in agreement and leaving Vanellope cold.

"W-Wait, what?" the girl stammered "When-? When have I ever said-?!"

"It started some time ago…." Taffyta went on, her tone just as slippery as Snake's "Right around the time your buddies came in. I mean, it wasn't as if you disagreed with them or anything!"

"That'sssss becaussssse Vanellope CAN do anything without you!" Snake roared at the girl, scaring the candy children behind her.

"You might wanna watch it." Taffyta said, taking one of the smaller children and holding them comfortingly in her arms "The poor lil guys already have a hard enough time as it is here. I'd HATE to hear what the arcade would say about you if they found out you were bashing kids."

"Asssss if ANYONE is going to give a care about some USSSSELESSSSS NPC ca-!"

"SNAKE-OIL!"

The reptile looked behind himself, Vanellope standing in anger before him.

Perhaps now he had gotten the clue.

"Oh! Y-Yessss, Pressssident!" he fumbled, the other racers glaring at him as he slithered his way back to Vanellope "Right. Thissss issss a hosssspital. I should have realized that any outbursssst like thissss would be-!"

"C'mere….."

Snake found his words cut of as he watched Taffyta gripping Vanellope by the back of her hoddie and dragged her into one of the back meeting rooms, the others going with her.

"Hey, what do you think-?!"

The moment Snake dragged the last inch of his tail into the conference room, Minty SLAMMED the door, almost catching his tail in the process.

"I'm sure you'd like a cast, right?" the girl grinned menacingly at the large boss.

"Okay, I want answers! NOW, Muttonfudge!" Vanellope demanded as she slammed her fist on the table top…and immediately regretted it a second later _"It looks so cool on TV when they do it. Ow…"_

"What is there to explain, Von Schweetz? Since we know we are of no use on the tracks, we came here instead."

"No use on tha tracks?" Vanellope shouted again, holding her sore hand "C'mon, stop playin' games! We need ta get goin'!"

"No, YOU need to get going." Taffyta replied, Vanellope growing all the more irritated by her tone and look "It's your race, it's your game. We don't have any business in it."

"You have a lot of nerve back talking to your leader like that!" Snake hissed loudly, making his features as monstrous as possible but Taffyta stood as still as a statue towards him "Are you trying to make the Pressssident look bad?! Get out there and get ready to race!"

"Why should we?" Taffyta said again.

"Don't quessssstion me you little brat! Jusssst do assss I ssssssay!"

"Last time I checked, YOU weren't President."

"But I DO hold a very important possssition!" Snake chuckled to himself.

"Yeah, runnin' folks off the road." Lumi quipped, the reptile boss looking at him angrily.

"I'd be careful If I were you, BOY." He grunted "Your voice sssssounds pretty bad right now. It would be a shame if it got WORSSSSE."

"It would be a bigger shame if Smell-nel-opee were late ta that startin' line." The boy went on, sharing the same sentiments as the strawberry girl. He turned to the vanilla racer, looking her up and down "So what are ya waitin' for? Go out there and go, PREZ."

It was bad enough that it felt like the entire game had turned on her once more but if she didn't know any better, it wasn't Taffyta who was leading the charge but rather Lumi. He was always the center of some mess since the moment of his arrival and as Vanellope's eyes bored into him….

"You're pressin' your luck, Lungee."

"I can see we aren't gonna get anywhere but we're not the ones who are late." Taffyta went on, preparing to leave the conference room "So go ahead, Vanellope. Enjoy the races and-!"

"NO! WAIT!" the vanilla racer ordered "I wanna know what's goin' on here, Muttonfudge! There is no way in tha arcade ANY OF YA would just drop everythin' like this."

"We do have other hobbies outside of racing." Taffyta yawned "But lemme guess. You never knew that?"

"Huh?"

"I'm pretty sure you and the rest of your buddies just think we go home and do nothing, right? Vanellope is the only person in the whole of Sugar Rush with talents and friends?"

Snake slithered up behind the girl, glaring at the other racers.

"Yes, she does have friendsssss, PLACEHOLDER!"

Taffyta looked Snake up, she looked him down. She sniffed, brushing her bangs.

"Yes. Friends. It's a wonder the game have managed to keep going as it is."

"Taffyta!"

"What, why are you so angry at us?" the pink girl said innocently "Oooh, Vanellope, Vanellope, Vanellope. You keep flip-flopping more than a pancake on a griddle. One minuet you need us, the next you don't. Make up your mind, PRESIDENT."

Snake growled, lashing out a hand to grab Taffyta but she quickly jumped out of the way gracefully.

"Filthy placeholder! If you're refussssing to race because you're sssscared Vanellope is going to beat you-?! Why don't you jusssst take your-!"

"Shhhhh." Taffyta continued to tease the pair "Some of the children are sleeping. It would be so sad if you woke them up!"

"I told you I don't give a care about any ssssstupid NPCs!"

"This isn't funny, Taffyta!" Vanellope shouted but the others could hear the begging in her voice "So stop it an' get your kart so we can race!"

"Who makes ya think ya can order us around like that?" said Gloyd.

Vanellope blinked, feeling the crushing weight of the others coming down on her as they slowly crept closer.

"H-Hey, what-?"

"Ya play a good game an' you put up a good act but seriously, Von Schweetz." The big boy continued "Ya got no room to order us around like this."

"She hasssss every right to do so, brat!" Snake hissed again, Vanellope restraining herself from keeping him back this time "She'sssss your Presssident!"

"Technically, she isn't."

The room went silent, Vanellope glitching as she turned her attention back to the scowling Taffyta.

"What?!" Snake bellowed "Are you really that dumb, you blond byte?! Do you not know of her title?!"

"You mean the one she gave herself so she could feel like a special pixel?" Taffyta said, pushing Snake back gently "You mean the one she just felt like she could have without going through the democratic process of a vote?"

"S-Say what now?" Vanellope blanched again, her fingers once again feeling tingly from a glitch.

Lumi snickered to himself, enjoying every moment of watching the previously smug girl founder "Oh, WOW. So it IS true!"

Vanellope scowled, marching over to Lumi and taking his collar into her hands "Listen up Green-Boots. I have every right ta knock your melon-head back ta tha Pong-Age If ya keep this up!"

"Hey, I didn't do anythin'." The boy laughed again, holding up his hands "I'm not tha one who gave myself a fake title an' can't even keep up with it!"

Vanellope growled, holding her aching head "Guys, guys, GUYS! This-! All of this over a race?!"

"We're just following the constitutional process as well as the basic rights of a democratic nation." Taffyta stated "Given what has been going on, we have every right to question the validity and competency of our leader along with refusing to race in the dangerous conditions brought upon us."

Vanellope and Snake looked over at Taffyta, the vanilla racer stunned to hear the words that came from the strawberry racer's mouth. Taffyta rolled her eyes, giving her head a shake

"Oh, right. I'm the 'dumb blond mean girl' right? Duh, duh, duh. Me stupid because me blond. Me not know how things work because me not smart like Vanellope." The girl mocked, wagging a finger before Vanellope's nose "Tsk, tsk Vanellope. I would have never thought of someone like you riding on such outdated stereotypes!"

"W-Wait, then what are ya sayin'?" Vanellope said as she approached the girl "You're not gonna race because ya don't think I'm President?"

"You could be the President of Butt-Tropolis an' we still wouldn't race with you." Taffyta said, the others murmuring in angered agreement "We should have never raced with you from the start, because you've never given us a choice to put in our voice in anything that happens here. NOT ONCE!"

"But-!"

"You let THEM make all the choices!" the other girl said pointing to Snake "You let HIM make a bunch of rules that throw off the game! But us? People who are actually programmed in here? People who actually call Sugar Rush home?"

"Oh, and what good would come from lisssstening to sssssomone like you, Mutt?!" Snake growled.

"A lot more good than tha puke that comes outta your mouth." Lumi snapped "From what I've seen an' felt myself, Vanellope hasn't done one Presidential thing since she got here! But she sure loves to ride on that title so long as it gets her plenty'a free things!"

"How would ya even know that, Lumzi?!" Vanellope griped "Ya don't know what happened here! Ya don't even know what happened here last month! Ya just came online!"

Lumi was the one to smirk this time, rocking on his feet "Ya learn a lot from your citizens when ya actually listen ta 'em. A REAL president would know that."

"Can I Presidentially kick your butt?"

"Look, Von Schweetz." The white-haired racer said as she draped an arm heavily on Vanellope, pushing her down "At tha end of tha day, this all falls in your favor."

"How does it fall in my favor?!" the other girl grunted, glitching out of Taffyta's hold.

"You don't have to race with us Placeholders just like you and Snake wanted!" the strawberry racer sang, her eyes making Vanellope's spine shake as she watched them shrink down "And you can avoid the crippling reality of knowing that had you actually held a vote when you glitched your way back, none of us would have voted you in!"

Vanellope looked at the other racers; even if she tried to stand tall against her Taffyta knew that the arrow had hit its mark, her eyes seeing the girl's hands shaking.

"That is not true….." Vanellope uttered through her teeth "THAT IS NOT TRUE!"

"Yessssss!" Snake said, slithering in front of the girl "We all know that everyone here would vote for Vanellope."

"You know it's illegal to threaten people to go to the polls." Taffyta said, studying her nails "So cut the candy-corn and stop acting this would change anyone's mind."

Vanellope could not believe the brass that Taffyta was showing her, the girl expecting that she may have been jealous of her position but Taffyta seemed to hold a key before Vanellope that she was still confused on how to grab and the more she thought….

The more she began to doubt.

Taffyta had played her words well, putting the notion into Vanellope's head that if she were to win anything it would have been more for pity or fear rather than true integrity. And as she remembered how the other candy citizens had started to behave…..

She felt as if she had been punched in the stomach, Taffyta's glint only making it worse.

"Tick tock, tick." The girl played "The crowds are waitin' for you, Von Schweetz. Better get going."

"You better get going, Muttonsssssludge!" Snake ordered "On my demandsssss-!"

"On your demands?" the girl said again "Hey everyone! Mr. Snake-Oil is playing President again!"

"No wonder the game's going to pot." Snowanna said slyly, Adorabeezle unable to hold back her giggles.

"But-! But that's treason!"

"Is it?" Taffyta said, arching a brow "We didn't technically put Vanellope in as President so any orders she made as President are no longer legal. An' in fact Mister Snake-!"

The creature narrowed his eyes, just waiting to her what Taffyta had to say.

"Going back ta the old rules, you're the one that could be held in contempt for endangerment of Sugar Rush citizens!"

"WHAT?!"

Taffyta snapped her fingers, Torvald wheeling herself over and pulling a massive book from her backpack much to Vanellope's surprise.

"Take it away, Tori."

"Bylaw number thirty-four B, section seven, article nine." The butter-girl began "Any trespasser to the game caught assaulting Sugar Rush racers on and off the tracks is viable to face ramifications such a multiple terms in the Fungeon and banishment should the infractions continue to add up or be severe-!"

"Wait, wait, wait!" shouted Vanellope "Where did ya find that book?"

"In the library." Torvald smiled, Taffyta only adding to the moment as she looked at Vanellope.

"You can learn sooooo much when you don't spend your time running off with people ta sniff your own farts."

" _Or frame people."_ Lumi whispered under his breath.

"W-Well-! If you're gonna follow those laws, then I can put in my own an-!"

"And how long is that gonna take?" Taffyta said "Wait, lemme get the paperwork! You'll still have to meet with the other members of council, they'll have to cast their votes, then we'll have to wait another session and-!"

The girl stopped, once again focusing her wide eyes at Vanellope.

"How does next week sound? Hopefully the game won't be unplugged by then since none of us will be racing!"

"GUYS!"

"It's your choice now, PRESIDENT."

"W-Well…..okay. Maybe I didn't give ya a fair chance when I came back." The girl said, trying to regain herself in front of Taffyta "I was just excited. I was just-! Well, everythin' was so new!"

"Ya've been coded as a Princess from tha start." Lumi said, his voice low "Stop actin' as if it was some fantastic discovery."

"Stop it!" Vanellope shouted "Ya wanna do something demo-cratic?! Fine! Hold a vote ta race! Who wants ta race with me? Who wants ta stay with Taffyta?"

The group came to a standstill, the air cold as tensions rose. Snake scowled down at the small racers, already knowing that they would be harder to break this time.

"I would hate to think what could happen if people found out…." The Snake began, making sure that his voice carried over all "If the arcade were to find out you bratssss were the onessssss to caussssse the game to sssssuffer."

A few of the children shuffled in worry, Snake quickly moving in.

"It isssss ssssso cute that you want to play brave now but what would happen If thingssss were to go bad? If you caussssed Vanellope to sssssuffer even more than you already have?"

The boss moved between the kids, his long tail waving gracefully around them.

"They'll hate you. They'll curssssse you." He snickered, putting his words through their ears "They'll ssssee you assss nothing more than sssscrapsssss."

"Aw, can it Snake-Bite!"

The creature looked over, Taffyta giving him a bored look.

"Your butt-buddies have already spread lies about us, hit us, kicked us. The arcade already hates us. Who cares at this point what happens? At least I'll go out knowing I did better than someone who has to have everything done for her because she has no skills to earn it herself. And that's even with Turbo putting me under his mind control."

Now Vanellope was furious, every pixel in her body wanting nothing more than to pummel Taffyta onto the ground…but she knew that's exactly what the girl would have wanted; something to parade around to the arcade to show just how low Vanellope had fallen.

"Should I get the othersssss, Pressssident?" Snake said "I can call Basssston and Felia and they can-!"

"Aw, nah. Don't even try it!"

"What now, brat?"

"If we're going to hold a real democratic vote, only Sugar Rush citizens can vote."

"What?!"

"Sorry, Snakey." Taffyta tittered, fluttering her eyes "But it seems that even if you follow Vanellope's butt ya can't get free passes everywhere!"

"But-! But that's not fair! You can't-!"

"It's tha law, Snake."

The creature looked down, astonished to see Vanellope nodding her head "Vanellope?!"

"As much as I hate ta admit it myself, Taffyta's right. But I'm not worried."

The strawberry racer rolled her eyes.

"If I can wipe your butt on tha track, I know I can wipe your butt in tha votes!"

"I'm not runnin' for President, Von Cheatz. I never wanted ta be President." The girl said snottily "This is you who's bein' baked, not me."

"Well, in that cassssse ssssmarty-!" Snake said, pointing his sharp fingers at Lumi "He can't participate either! Thisssss virusss isssssn't a conformed racer ssssso-!"

"No skin off my nose." Luimi said calmly, moving past Snake and sitting comfortably in one of the chairs "I'm just here ta watch."

"Then get ready to watch n' lose, virus!" Snake shot back, looking down at the others "I trussst that if any of you have sssssense-!"

"Snake, we don't have much time!" Vanellope said "Let's get this over with! If ya wanna race! Race like ya wanna! Race like you're meant ta! Race like I know ya wanna, you'll race with me! Your President!"

It was a short speech but Vanellope felt it was powerful enough, hopefully to turn some of the doubters over.

"I just want what's best for ya, guys." The girl said, trying her best to be reassuring "I know things are shakey but ya can trust me. Ya can!"

It all came down to this.

"If ya want me as your President an' wanna race-!" the girl said in a proud voice "Raise your hands up like ya mean 'em!"

Vanellope's words may have come out powerful but as the seconds went by….

Wait.

And wait.

Silence.

Still.

Nothing.

Vanellope felt her throat going dry, seeing the racers glaring at her with stone faces, arms crossed against their chest as not a finger twitched.

"G-Guys-?"

It was getting closer to opening, Vanellope still standing about with her hand in the air but it felt weak, the cold draft going around the room and making her feel as if she were going to topple over.

And the racers remained still.

"Come on you heapssss of junk!" Snake shouted "Vote for Vanellope NOW or-!"

"You can't force someone ta vote." Taffyta said "'Sides, your words don't mean anything in this so maybe for once keep that forked tongue in your mouth and _**SHUT IT**_!"

"You mewling little toad-!"

"STOOOOOPP!" Vanellope shouted, managing to keep Snake back but she looked back at the others, desperation on her face "G-Guys! Y-Ya can't-!"

"Oh, they can, Von Schweetz."

The girl looked over, Lumi's cold glare hitting her.

"This is all part of that good ol' democratic process. Don't start sheddin' tears because ya didn't get what ya wanted."

"B-But-!" the girl stammered, returning her focus on the others "Ya-! Us-!"

"US?" said Taffyta "There's never been an 'US' in any of this, Vanellope. The moment you glitched yourself here it's only been you, you, you, _**YOU!**_ "

Taffyta poked the girl hard in her chest, knocking her back into Snake.

"But this is what you wanted, right? A game where everyone gets to focus on you an' just you. A game where you don't have to worry about us getting in the way."

"I-I-!"

Taffyta flipped her hair again, her eyes as cold as steel "This is the freedom you wanted. You're not held back by us anymore. You can do whatever you want to, race however you want to, explore however you want to. This is your game now, Von Schweetz."

Taffyta kicked open the doors, a crowd gathered around as they looked in shock.

"Eat it up, sweetie."

The group then left, resuming their work with the children in the hospital as Vanellope was left dumbfounded and silent before all.

What had just happened? Had Taffyta really gotten one past her, had she actually figured out a way to beat Vanellope at something, even if it weren't on the track?

Lumi was the last of the bunch to leave, shaking his head in disgust.

"A sour Princess in-story, a sour Princess out."

Vanellope was certain she had seen Turbo's smirk on the boy's face as he walked out, her eyes then going to the clock as it was getting closer to opening hours.

What was she going to do?

"Don't worry about them." Snake huffed, putting his arm around the girl and eyeing the others angrily as he nearly dragged the vanilla racer out from the ward "They were only ssssslowing you down asssss usussssual."

Vanellope's eyes twitched, the door shutting slowly behind her.

"It issss assss I have ssssaid many-a timessss to you ssssince I've had the privilege of meeting you." The reptile went on "You don't need them."

"I don't need them?"

"No, you don't." Snake chuckled "Thissss game is yourssss and yourssss alone, everything depending on you to work. Why do you think Turbo choosssse you out of those ussseless Placeholdersssss? Why do you think you were the final key to unlocking everyone?"

Vanellope felt numb; she just couldn't say anything. Before she knew what was going on, she was now out of the hospital, Snake more or less carrying the girl back towards the track.

"Thissss will all work out in the end." The reptilian boss continued "Maybe the playerssss jusssst weren't ussssed to it yesssserday but they will ssssee! A game made just for Vanellope! Ha, it'ssss a game for ussss! A game that can't be-!"

"Aw man…."

"Presssssident?"

"Aw man!" the girl said again, putting her hands to the side of her head "Aw man, aw man, AW MAN AW MAN AWMANAWMAN-!"

"Vanellope, what isssss-!"

"What-!? What have I done?!" the girl screamed "I-! I can't get on like this! I can't let tha game play like this!"

"But you have to." Snake said in a calm voice "You don't need thossssse Placeholdersssssss. You were ssssskillled far beyond what they can-!"

"Snake!" the girl said "I DO need them! This game is a frekain' co-op for player's sake! People expect ta race an' they expect ta race against someone else too!"

"Then have one of thossssssssse candy people do it. I'm sssssure they can fill in!"

"Are ya kiddin'?! Our cars are too powerful an' none of 'em can drive!" the girl said, starting to panic "An' if we have someone else-!? No, no! Too dangerous! They could get a game over if they go through some of tha barriers!"

"I don't undersssstand." Said Snake "The oddsssss were sssstacked in your favor and-!"

"An' everyone HATED IT!" Vanellope shouted, managing to make Snake trip over his own lower body "Yesterday was a DISASTER, Snake! Even you can't deny that!"

"Well-! I-!"

The girl felt like tearing her hair out, finally realizing the gravity of the stunt Taffyta had pulled. It wasn't so much to show off Vanellope's status as President or any sort of leadership but rather to hit the game where it would the most. Vanellope had been played and she had been played well, her ego driving her rather than her mind.

"Oh, thisssss issss ridiculoussss." Snake said "We can go right back and get them right-!"

"NO!" the girl shouted, putting up her hands "Don't even go near 'em!"

"Why not?"

Vanellope had her reasons; she was too embarrassed to. She knew the moment she went back to Taffyta it would be giving the girl exactly what she wanted, to see her grovel at her feet as she had made the others grovel at her when she had returned.

It was bad enough that Taffyta had embarrassed her with the fake election but she wasn't going to have her do it again, not this time but she was still in a bad pinch. The gamers would soon come over to the cabinet and expect to see racers but as of that moment, she was the only one. She needed someone else, she needed help, she needed-!

Hold on a moment.

There was something off about that vote.

Vanellope recalled being cooped up the room, surrounded by the others when she realized there was one head she hadn't noticed.

" _Candlehead!"_

In a flash Vanellope glitched back towards the hospital entrance, hoping to see the girl somewhere.

"Wait! Pressssident! Where are you going?!"

Vanellope looked down every corner and every hall, hoping to see Candlehead somewhere.

"Aw man, aw man!" she meeped to herself, biting her nails "Why can't I find-?!"

In any situation, where would Candlehead be?

Where the food was.

"Oh, DUH!"

Vanellope sprinted off to the kitchen and clutching her chest she found that the girl was there, gloomily sitting by herself.

"CANDLEHEAD!"

The girl didn't move, her head hung low and her candle limp.

"Candles?"

A cartoon of strawberry milk sat in front of the girl, Vanellope surprised that was the only thing the girl had taken in.

Even though she was happy to see Candlehead, Vanellope knew she wasn't her usual chippy self.

She tip-toed near the girl, hoping she wouldn't startle her "Um? Hello? Candlehead?"

"Is tha vote over?"

The vote?

Did Candlehead know?

Vanellope sat next to the girl, forcing a smile on her face "V-Vote? I didn't hear anythin' 'bout that?"

"I know what happened…." The cake-themed girl said in a gloomy voice "That's why I couldn't do it."

"D-Do what?"

Candlehead looked as if she were trying to hold back tears, too afraid to look Vanellope in the eyes "I know Taffyta wanted ta hold a vote, she was so angry!"

"Yeah, that's one way of puttin' it…."

"But-! But I couldn't do it!"

"Couldn't do what?"

"I couldn't vote no..." Candlehead murmured, breathing hard "I-! I'm so tired of everyone fightin' an' yellin' an' screamin' at each other! I knew Taffyta would be mad at me if I didn't vote with her! I knew you'd be made at me if I didn't vote with ya! I-!"

"Candlehead, no! No!" Vanellope said, finding herself rushing over to the girl and wrapping her arms around her "No! No, don't think like that!"

"I dunno what ta think anymore!" Candlehead wept "I just wanna-! I just wanna do somethin' right!"

Vanellope now felt terrible. Candlehead was obviously in no condition to race but she needed someone to fill in at least ONE spot, at least fill in something for a second player. Had this also been a part of Taffyta's plans, to use Candlehead as he own bartering chip to make Vanellope so wracked with guilt she couldn't even think straight?

Anyone else would have thought so, remembering how easily Candlehead had turned on Taffyta when the truth got out but if there was one thing Vanellope would admit…

It was that she had watched the two grow closer as friends.

She knew that what Candlehead was going through wasn't some quick turn to save her own skin. She really did not want to come between the two girls anymore, so tired and exhausted of picking sides all for the sake of just wanting to race again as everyone was meant to do so.

Vanellope knew she had no right to ask Candlehead to do something she clearly wasn't ready for but she had no choice; she was at the mercy of everyone in the game.

And boy did it feel horrible to remember.

"Candlehead?"

The girl wiped her eyes "A-A-huh?"

"Can ya do me a big, big, big, BIG favor?"

* * *

Snake looked at the clock on the podium, tapping his fingers against his arms.

"If that lil glitch would jussssst let me take care of thosssse other whelpssss, I'd get my job done easssier!"

"We're here!"

Snake whirled around, watching as both girls made their way up to the track with their karts. His mouth dropped, surprised to see Candlehead along with Vanellope.

"What issss SHE doing here?!" he cried out, quickly catching himself "I mean-! If there wasssss anyone I thought you could count on, it might have been that rather foppish peanut-butter one…."

"Snake, get to your game!" Vanellope said, still clutching on the girl's hand as they stood on the pads "I've got it covered from here!"

"There issss sssstill a bit of time left before I have to leave…." Snake said "Are you certain you don't need any of my-?"

"I don't want a SINGLE of your troopers on the road today!" ordered the vanilla racer "Do you hear me?!"

"But-!"

"Snake, please! Two racers? With cops on our tails? Less you're gonna give me the same treatment an' call it a bonus stage, NO!"

The creature looked to be rubbing away a migraine, nodding his head "Yessss, Presssident. It is underssstood."

"Miss Von Schweetz?"

The trio looked over, Sour Bill arriving nearby.

"Awww, what is it now Billy?"

"I am sorry, Vanellope…." The round ball of candy said "But you have a call."

"From who?" the girl moaned.

"From RALPH."

Vanellope's eyes shot open, glitching out of her kart "Ralph?!"

"Yes, he wants to talk to you." The royal candy nodded "Just pick up the line in the announcer room. Press nine."

Vanellope took off without another word, the group watching as she nearly busted through the door rather than glitching through it.

"M-Maybe I can give my kart a rub down before I go out?" Candlehead squeaked again, getting out and heading to one of the garage ports "I-I know it's been a while since I've raced…it does look a bit dusty."

Bill watched as the girl went to fetch her supplies, but as he turned out….

"…Mr. Snake?"

In the garage, Candlehead found the polish and some old rags. They weren't new but at least they could be used to clean up the rough edges of her kart.

"I hope I don't make Vanellope upset…." She sighed to herself "Or Taffyta either."

She thought to herself, a flitter of hope still within her.

"I dunno. Maybe I can make 'em both a big lunch an-!"

 **SHOVE!**

" _ **AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAURGH!"**_

Candlehead felt herself falling forward, crashing into the box of cleaning supplies. Had she tripped, had she slipped? The room was dim and she slowly came to her thoughts, trying to turn over but-

 **SMACK!**

She screamed again, a painful blow landing across her cheek as she feel once more.

"You ussssslesssss lil Placeholder!"

Snake?

He reached down, grabbing the girl around her collar and lifting her up, his grip nearly choking her where she hung.

"Ssssstop acting assss if thissss is gonna make me feel sssssorry for you!"

He hit her again and again, the girl crying as loudly as she could but no one could hear her in the back of the garage.

"Do you know what your sssstupid friend did?! Do you know what she could have messsssed up?!"

He must have meant Taffyta, especially given how hard he was now handling the girl.

"SPEAK UP!"

"I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY!" Candlehead begged, her tears rolling down her cheeks and onto Snake's hands.

"Don't dirty up my hands with your DISSSSGUSSSTING tearssss!" he hiss, giving the girl more or less the same treatment that he had put upon Lumi the day before.

The girl was in pure terror, unable to do or say anything as Snake threw her around like a ragdoll, hitting her countless times against the wall and seemingly taking great pleasure from it.

First Lumi.

Then Minsk.

Now Candlehead.

There was no limit.

"Vanellope may have picked you…." The boss smiled as he took Candlehead by her arm, squeezing it so hard she cried out in pain "But I know you're jusssst like thosssse other bytessss. Completely usssselesssss, weak, helplessssss….."

Candlehead breathed hard, unable to find any words to free her.

"Did you think you could be sssssmart? Did all of you think that with your sssstupid vote?"

The girl said nothing, cowering before the large snake.

"ANSSSWER ME!"

"NO!" Candlehead shrieked, more tears coming from her eyes _**"NO! NO! NO! I DIDN'T THINK ANYTHING!"**_

"I wouldn't be treating you like thissss if it weren't your fault." Snake sneered "It'sssss all your fault."

Once again, the girl did nothing, her legs weak as she crumpled to the floor.

"You're friendssss with Muttonflub. That'sssss why I had to hit you. If you weren't friendssss with her, I wouldn't have done thissss to you. It'sssss your fault, kiddo. You should have picked better friendssssss."

Seeing that he had her where he wanted Snake continued, surrounding her with his massive size.

"It'sssss your fault Vanellope was glitched. It'sssss your fault that Turbo got in." he continued, laughing to himself "You want to know what it'sssss your fault? Because you're STUPID."

Candlehead gulped, trying to cover her ears but Snake yanked her hands away.

"You lissssten! You're STUPID! You're programmed to be STUPID and you'll alwayssss be STUPID! That'ssss why you're nothing! You're nothing compared to Vanellope!"

Just like Minks, Candlehead simply took the words of her attacker, finding she had no strength or courage to fight back. Snake continued to grasp her, shaking her so hard that her teeth rattled and her neck whipped back and forth. He was getting too much joy out of this, far too much fun.

"Say it!"

"A-AAAURGH!"

Snake began shaking the girl again "Stupid, Candlehead. Stupid, STUPID Candlehead!"

"N-No!"

"I'll tell Vanellope all I know! I'll tell EVERYONE what I know about you!"

"I-I-!"

Another smack hit the girl, the wall finally breaking as she tumbled from Snake's hold onto the ground.

"I-I'm stupid…." She whimpered.

"Sssssay it."

"I-I'm stupid."

"Don't make me tell-!"

"I'M STUPID!" Candlehead bellowed, throwing her hands to the ground "I'M STUPID, I'M STUPID, I'M STUPID!"

This was what Snake liked to see, the candy girl shaking like Jell-O.

Snake moved in closer, getting right into the girl's face.

"You're racing Vanellope. That much isssss true….." he hissed, his face growing angrier "But if you ssssso much asssss try to win? If you sssssso much assss try to ruin our perfect record-!"

Our?

Who was Snake talking about?

"If you sssssso much asssss look at her funny, I'll make sure that we find a way to get your code out of here ssssso no one can find it. And maybe that'ssss all for the better. No one will missssss you. No one would misssss any of you. Even if you had parentsssss like that dissssgussssting green ssssnot hasssss gone on about, what good would they be? If they're anything like YOU, they're jussssst asssss dumb, jusssst assssss pitiful, jusssst as meaninglessssss!"

Snake was pulling at every last never the girl had, watching her break down right before him. It was sweeter than honey, sweet than any candy he could have gained from the game.

These were the moments that he lived for.

But….

One green eye looked through the key-hole.

One green eye could not believe what they were seeing.

One green eye….

"Get up!" the Snake shouted, taking Candlehead by the back of her collar and dropping her again "Get out there and make yoursssself usssseful! And if I sssso much assss catch you trying to tell anyone?!"

The girl managed to look back, Snake making a snapping motion with his hands.

"Not you. Not even that Lumi Virusssss…."

Then-?

"The Mutt."

Her eyes grew wider, the boss knowing he had hit his target.

"You think thisssss wasssss bad?" he chortled "I'm ssssaving my besssst for the white-haired little wretch."

"N-No!"

"Y-Y-Yes!" Snake mocked "We'll take her out, take her out of the game. Break her there ssssso she can't come back. And it'll be your fault! Jussssst like EVERYTHING here!"

The girl was left in a mass of sorrow and pain, unable to cry loud enough to get help but after everything Snake had told her…

Would anyone come for her?

"Now….we wouldn't want to make Vanellope wait any longer, would we?"

Candlehead was wobbling on her legs, knowing that she had to keep her promise to Vanellope but at the same time….

Snake.

He would always be there.

And she would never feel safe.

* * *

" _I'm just worried. I want you to be safe."_

"Ya don't hafta worry 'bout me, Stink-Breath." Vanellope sighed as she looked at the clock "An' right now? I need ta get ready! It's gonna be a….strange one today."

" _Are tha other's okay?"_

"Tha others?"

" _Y-Yeah…."_ Ralph said over the phone, the embarrassment clear in his voice _"After what happened last night to all'a ya….I was worried."_

Once again, Vanellope was thrown for a loop. It had been sometime since Ralph had actually asked about the welfare of the other racers, especially in such a concerned tone. Most of the time, he made it clear that his questions were focused on whether or not they were bothering HER but Vanellope knew from the way his voice shook….

He wanted to know if they were alright.

If no one had harmed THEM.

It made her throat tighten again, the girl having a hard time fighting off the rising jealously in her stomach.

"Nah, it's….it's fine! They're fine! In fact-!"

"Alright, kids! Openin' time!"

The girl gasped, looking out through the screen to see that it was indeed opening hours.

"Gotta go, Ralph!"

" _Wait, don't-!"_

Vanellope hung up the phone and dashed down to the podium, seeing that Candlehead's kart was there but the racer was missing.

"Aw, MAN! Don't tell me-!"

From the corner of her eye, the cake themed girl could he see, slowly making her way back to her kart.

"CANDLEHEAD!" Vanellope breathed out "Don't ever that to me again, girlie! I almost had a code-attack!"

Candlehead said nothing, walking past Vanellope as she went towards the character selection pad.

"Candles?"

The girl was hunched over, Vanellope seeing the drastic change in her grayed color tones again.

"Candlehead, what's-?"

The girl turned, greeting Vanellope with a weakened look, glossed eyes and reddened cheeks. Vanellope had to take a step back, surprised given she had only left the other girl for a few moments and already she looked as if she had been through several kart wrecks.

But at least then, Candlehead was happy and able to take the roughness.

Whatever had happened now…

"I hope the game works this time." Said one of the players as they walked up to the cabinet "Last time, I kept getting pulled over. No one was able to do anything if they weren't playing as Vanellope."

The vanilla racer glitched but then put her focus on the selection pad. Candlehead was already there and despite looking so terrible, despite looking as if she needed to go back to the hospital with the others, she struck her character pose anyway. From Vanellope's point of view, she had assumed she was only doing it to keep the game safe, to keep the players from thinking that something else was off.

If only she knew the true reason for it all.


	33. Chapter Thirty Two- Sweet Flavor

Chapter Thirty Two- Sweet Flavor

Ralph was nervous, looking out towards the skybox as Litwak approached the door.

Opening hours were close.

"Ya think she's gonna be okay?"

Felix, still making his way from his apartment, gave Ralph a look "Scuse me?"

"Think everythin' is gonna be okay in there for those kids? ALL of 'em?"

"Er, you're askin' me, Red?"

Ralph stuck his head back through the window, walking fast towards the stairs. He had never felt this type of nervousness before, already on edge given how abruptly Vanellope had hung the phone up on him only moments ago.

He was having his doubts, his concerns, his worries about even leaving her there alone, leaving all the kids there alone.

" _Get a grip, Ralph!"_ the big man thought to himself, shaking his head _"Vanellope an' those kids can take care of themselves! They were always meant to given how the game was made an'-!"_

He stopped himself again, realizing that he had put 'and those kids' into the thought. It was strange how quickly things had turned for the big man, remembering to himself that less than a month before he wouldn't have given the other racers the time of day, a single thought, a single care.

He remembered it…and as he did it was starting to become more and more painful. He walked with Felix in silence, recalling everything he had told himself, everything he had listened to as a means of justifying any sort of negative hatred he had for the other candy racers.

They deserved it.

They weren't as special as Vanellope so they didn't mean anything.

They were just Placeholders.

Placeholders.

 **PLACEHOLDERS.**

If there was one thing he had remembered, he was not the one who came up with that term. In fact, it was an old term, one he had always heard floating around when he was a newbie at the arcade himself but the reaction it got from people who were called such a term.

Always bad.

Always anger.

Always upset.

Ralph remembered when he was always called 'just a bad guy' and how much it burned him to his very code, how much it burned a lot of folks but the more he began to think…

What made it any more right for him to throw around such a derogatory term at others?

And it wasn't as if Placeholder wasn't the only thing he had let slip through his mouth, directly towards the faces of other characters. And it wasn't as if he were the only one.

His mind was going back to the start of that year, when Sugar Rush was freed and both he and Vanellope became 'celebrities'. How much everyone wanted to hang around them, how much everyone doted on them but also…

How much both he and Vanellope had begun to change.

He thought back to a lot of his prior actions, feeling as if he did not even remember or recognize the man who did it but it was still him. It was still the overall-clad Wrecker who said and did all of those things…

And he didn't like it.

Suddenly, all those 'happy' memories he had with Snake-Oil and his 'merry band' weren't looking as merry anymore, Ralph having double takes and double thoughts. He thought of one moment, realizing he would have said something different, thought of another and realized he would have done something better. But through it all, he could not erase the fact that as much as he hated to admit it, he had taken apart in something he was now starting to regret.

Vanellope had taken apart in something that, had he had his senses about him, he would have never allowed her to do.

And there he was, with Felix scared for the safety of all the Sugar Rush racers in their own game. It was as if he were certain Turbo was back but in this case, it wasn't a maddened racer he was worried about….

"Snake called."

Ralph looked down, Felix looking up at him in worry.

"H-He did? What for?"

"Somethin' 'bout tellin' ya not ta worry 'bout tha racers anymore." Felix said, Ralph hearing his contempt in his voice.

Felix always attempted to find something good to say about everyone, no matter their past but Ralph was willing to give his friend an excuse given how difficult it was for even him to think of something GOOD. However, the moment he heard that Snake said 'not to worry' about the racers….

"I think I'm gonna hafta have another meetin' with Mousey…."

The arcade finally opened, players spilling in. Vanellope nervously looked about as what few players there were scattered to other games, willfully ignoring Sugar Rush.

"Oh no…." she gulped "I knew this was going to happen."

Sugar Rush, along with Fix-it-Felix Jr. and Hero's Duty, were usually the first to have a high que set up, players arguing and waiting to have their turn. Snake and many-a others had said the success to it all was Vanellope's doing.

But if that were the case, the reason for the sudden drop was ALSO due to Vanellope.

She remembered what the players had said the other night, that they were getting sick of playing her or to put it better, they were sick of having her as the only one allowed to do anything. The other racers had all their freedom to play removed, the same excuses given that it was Vanellope's game and if it were to run in the 'right' way, she should have all the freedom, all the power, everything.

But as both she and the players got a bitter taste of, Sugar Rush did not run on one character alone, no matter their status, no matter their glitch.

" _I-Is it my fault?"_

Vanellope looked over, Candlehead still posed but drained, the vanilla racer seeing the smile slowly fading from the girl.

What exactly had happened to her in that short span of time that she was gone? Candlehead had looked nervous about joining in the races so suddenly but if she didn't know any better…

Had someone gotten to her?

"It is my fault…." Vanellope could hear the girl starting to sob again "They don't wanna play me because they know I'm dumb an' bad."

Vanellope's heart skipped a beat; why was Candlehead being so negative about herself? She had a second thought, realizing that it wasn't as if this were new. Like Ralph, she began to think back and remember, remembering how Candlehead and the other racers sunny attitudes had slowly began to diminish over the course of the year, but just like Ralph she had pushed it aside, thinking that it had come from jealously.

Only when she was up close to Candlehead did Vanellope realize just how much of a drastic change had come over her. Looking so down, hiding from races at all, and talking so badly about herself?

This wasn't the Candlehead she knew but in all honesty….

Had she actually taken the time to know Candlehead at all?

"I messed up already…." Candlehead whimpered again "No one is gonna play us today because they see m-!"

"Wait, guys!"

The two racers jumped in their spots, Vanellope glitching slightly.

"Candlehead is back!"

Vanellope's eyes widen, never having heard any player excited to see another racer, not even for herself.

"Aw, just Candlehead?" said the other player.

"Yeah, looks like it. But it's somethin' new." Said the other "I've been waitin' a while for her to get back on the board! Wonder what happened."

Maybe this was it; maybe they finally had some players lined up!

The two kids looked at the screen, inspecting it curiously.

"Why only two this time?" asked the first player.

"Ya know how this game works!"

"Uh, actually I don't."

"Maybe it's another random thing." Said the other "Last time they didn't have that many players so maybe it's just a two-fer this time?"

"Yeah, but did Vanellope have to be put in again? She's startin' ta fill like SPAM at this point."

Vanellope had no idea what SPAM meant but given how the player was looking, she knew it wasn't a good thing. Maybe in the past she would have scoffed at the player, knowing she was much better than what they had assumed but after everything she and the rest of the game had been put through? This one hit and it hit hard.

"Okay, lemme be Candles this time…" said one of the players "I've been waitin' days for her to come back!"

"An' I get Vanilla-Face?" said the other "I wanted Torvald to be honest."

Too bad Torvald was too injured to play, not even counting the strike she and the others were participating in.

The quarters were loaded, the karts were set, and the players were ready; it was time to race! Vanellope and Candlehead were lined up next to each other, the vanilla racer nervous to have just the two of them on the track.

" _H-hehe, this should be fun."_ Vanellope laughed nervously, trying her best to make things better but as she looked over, Candlehead said nothing. The vanilla racer just could not get over how horrible the girl looked. It was if someone were slowly sucking all the fun, all the brightness, all the color from the girl and it wasn't as if she were the only one to suffer.

It was all the racers.

As Vanellope had shined on, the others had faded, becoming more and more irritable and sour to her very presence around them. She thought it was envy, she thought it was just the guys being bitter over losing but the more the thought….

"Okay, let's go!"

Vanellope realized she was still being played, gripping the wheel as the kart fluttered, meaning that the player had full control.

" _I hope they like this."_ She said in worry _"If the player doesn't have fun? Smaller lines. No plays….unplugged?"_

Vanellope gulped; she wouldn't know what to do if she were the reason the game were to be unplugged.

 **GO**!

The game started, Vanellope's player blasting off with her but-

"Hey!"

Vanellope made a short glance back…and saw that Candlehead was not moving.

"What's wrong?" asked the first player, seeing their friend struggle with the controls.

"I…I can't move!"

Other characters around the arcade within earshot were surprised; was something wrong with Sugar Rush again? The player fiddled with the controls, turning the wheel, hitting all the peddles and beeping the horn.

"She's not movin'!"

Candlehead remained locked in place, as if she refused to go forward even with the player at the control. Her player was going from frustrated to worry, wondering if THEY had been the one who caused the error.

"No. No, no, no! I'm sorry!"

"'Eh?"

"I…I think I broke the game!"

"Wait, really?"

"Nothin' is workin'!" said the player, once again hitting the wheels and seeing that they were only turning, Candlehead not moving an inch "Did I bust this thing?! Did I bust it?!"

"Whoa, don't go nuts on me!"

"I don't have any money!" the kid shouted "I bet this game cost like….a bazillion dollars! I don't have that money to repair it!"

"Um, maybe we should ask Mr. Litwak's…." said the other kid, letting go of the wheel-

" _Aughr, NO!"_

And letting Vanellope helplessly slide into the molten chocolate pits.

" _ **VANELLOPE!"**_ Ralph cried from his vantage point, hearing nothing more than a sizzle and the blare of the out of bounds alarm. He bit his lip, Felix removing his hat and waving it at himself.

"W-Well….thank goodness for respawns?"

While the other kids had left to find the arcade owner….

 _ **DON DON DING!**_

Vanellope had respawned back into place due to her unfortunate dip in the molten lava pools.

"Sweet death…." She panted, sweating "IS NOT SWEET!"

She then looked over, seeing Candlehead still in place, her eyes locked forward.

"C-Butt!"

Vanellope checked around, making sure that no one else was looking around her and glitched to Candlehead.

"Candlehead!"

The girl was like stale cake, petrified and flavorless, her hands still gripped to her steering wheel. Vanellope was scared, wondering if the girl had actually locked up from within.

"Candlehead, please." The girl asked sadly "Say somethin'. What's wrong?"

"I'm lettin' ya win."

"What?"

Candlehead lowered her head down, shaking it "If I let ya win, then that means I'm doin' somethin' right."

"That's….that's not how-!"

"This is your game…." The girl went on "This is your game an' you're tha only one who can have fun. You're tha only one who's SUPPOSED ta win."

"Candlehead, that's not-!"

Vanellope had prepared herself to say something but as her hands lay atop Candlehead's….

 _Plip._

She looked down; a tear.

Candlehead was crying again, a hollow whimper echoing in her throat.

"C-Candles! I-! Don't be-!"

"I'm sorry, Vanellope!" the girl shouted loudly "I'm sorry I can't be like ya! I'm sorry I was so mean an' I'll never be as smart or as talented as ya!"

"Candlehead!"

"I'm just a stupid Placeholder! A stupid, stupid, STUPID-!"

"STOOOOOOOOOOP!"

Thankfully the arcade was too loud to hear Vanellope's shouts from within, the girl taking ahold of the steering wheel as she glared at Candlehead, almost scaring her.

"Stop….sayin' that!"

"S-Sayin' what?"

"That you're stupid!"

Candlehead's colors faded even further, Vanellope horrified at the effects.

" _But I am. I am stupid. Everyone says I'm stupid."_

"Who says that?!"

"You're friends…."

Vanellope glitched upon hearing those words; friends?

"You're friends are right….." the crestfallen girl continued "I know they're right because….because they're better than me too."

"C-Candlehead…."

"They're tha ones who care 'bout ya tha most, they know tha most 'bout ya….so I know they can't be wrong. An' when they say I'm stupid….I'm…."

Candlehead couldn't even finish the words, slowly slumping over on the steering wheel and burying her face in her arms.

"This is how tha game is supposed ta go…." She droned one "You're supposed ta win. We're always supposed ta lose because we have nothin'. We are nothin' we-"

"We're made ta race!"

Candlehead slowly looked up, Vanellope looking desperate and nervous towards her.

"Candlehead! Ya-! Tha others-!"

The words were caught in Vanellope's throat and chest, as if there were someone else trying to prevent her from saying what she wanted but for the sake of keeping the game playable, she knew she had to.

"We were all made ta race!"

"But you're tha President…." Candlehead went on, turning her head away "That means you're supposed ta always win."

"NO, IT DOESN'T!" Vanellope roared, taking Candlehead by the arms "It-! It's just a stupid fancy title! That's what's STUPID! An'-! An' so is not racin'!"

"So no matter what I do, it'll always be stupid?"

"That's not what I meant!" Vanellope shouted, looking up every few seconds to make sure that the players weren't passing by "Candlehead, this isn't like ya! This isn't like ya at all! Ya never been this scared ta race!"

"M-Maybe because I was never meant ta race? An' this is how I'm always supposed ta be?" the other girl meeped "W-What Turbo gave us was lies…so maybe he lied an' said we could race when we never were meant ta?"

Vanellope just could not handle how LOW Candlehead was bringing herself to, how much she was pushing back from doing something she knew she loved.

This wasn't Candlehead!

But then again, this wasn't Sugar Rush anymore.

Vanellope knew she had to say something, to do something to bring the girl back but even with all the praise she had been given, all the glory, all the fame and presents…

She felt weak against this.

"Candlehead…."

The cake girl looked up sadly, Vanellope certain she could feel her draining right in her hold.

"I….I should be sorry."

"No ya shouldn't." Candlehead droned one "You're never wrong. You're always right an'-!"

"Please, ya hafta race!" the girl begged "I know-! I know I got on ya sometimes but-! I'm sorry too! I-!"

Vanellope was teetering near the edge, knowing she had to do something soon or the game could be in a game over and once the bread-crumb trail would be found out…

It would lead by to Vanellope being the main reason why the game was unplugged.

"I know ya love ta race…" the girl began, panting a bit "I watched ya race even when Turbo was in charge…"

"So ya hated me."

"NO! Back then an' now-! I wanted ta be your friend an' as your friend lemme tell ya somethin'!"

Candlehead looked up blearily, almost as if she had no will, hope or even energy left.

"Ya can RACE, Candlehead Hanabi!" Vanellope said in a powerful voice "Ya gotta race! It's in your code."

"My code doesn't have anythin'….." Candlehead replied "Nothin' good, nothin' fun…nothin'."

Vanellope felt exhausted, realizing the gravity of what was happening in front of her.

"Candlehead….who told this do you?"

The girl shrank down again, shivering in fear.

Vanellope knew.

She knew there was only one person who kept talking like this.

But that desperate part off her continued to hold on, saying that it someone else, saying that it was Candlehead's fault!

It wasn't Vanellope's fault any of this had happened!

It was-!

"Please race…." Vanellope found herself begging "I know ya wanna have fun again an' so do I."

Something within Candlehead began to warm up, the girl looking at Vanellope as she saw just how upset she had become.

"I missed ya on tha tracks…." Vanellope said, her head now the one hanging low "I missed how things used ta be, when we could be ourselves an' race…I know ya want that again. I want that again….Please Candlehead, this is your chance."

The two heard the heavy thud of footsteps approaching them; the players!

The timer ran out, everything resetting as Vanellope and Candlehead found themselves thrown back into the character selection screen, unaware that the players weren't the only ones watching at the moment.

Back at the hospital the other racers and the candy children, as well as a few hospital attendants, had watched the events unfold, many of them shocked that such a thing had happened on the first race alone.

"I can't believe that Candlehead stalled!" said Snowanna, Adorabeezle nodding her head.

"I-I don't think she's ever done that before!"

The little racer looked down at her hands, twiddling her fingers.

" _Usually, I'm the one who stalls…."_

"Taffy, did ya see?" asked Swizzle, pointing to the screen as everything reset "I mean-!"

"Yeah. Yeah I saw it."

Everyone looked at the strawberry racer, her back towards the screen as she continued to cradle the young candy baby in her arms.

If Vanellope and Candlehead were upset at the starting line, the same glumness had encapsulated Taffyta as well. Rancis moved in a little closer, seeing the blush forming on the girl's face, almost as if she were embarrassed as well, almost as if it hurt her a little to see how badly the races were starting out.

In the back of his mind, he thought that she would have been happy to see Vanellope in such a jam early on in the games but she seemed upset, almost regretful of everything that had taken place. Who was she worried about? Vanellope, Candlehead, the rest of the racers once word got out to what they had done?

EVERYONE?

"Here comes Litwak!"

The racers gasped, Lumi in the back as he watched the owner of the arcade coming up on screen, the in-game cameras capturing every moment. He had seen and heard Litwak a few times since being released from his box but upon realizing that this man stood between a game continuing and a game being shipped out…

Shivers.

"Hmmm, seems to be runnin' fine."

"Please, please, PLEEEEEASE don't tell me I broke it." Said the kid in worry "I have only….twenty bucks saved up! I can't pay off a game like-!"

Litwak chuckled, sitting down in Candlehead's seat "No worries, just lemme try it."

He fished a quarter from his pocket, the game going to the character select screen. He looked at it in curiosity much like the kids had before.

"Only two characters?"

"New mode?" shrugged the other, their friend letting out a worried moan.

"Ah, it's been actin' janky for a while but ya guys seem to love it."

Litwak picked Candlehead as his racer, the usual thing going over as the game set up the race.

"Oh, please don't choke out again…." Gloyd whispered to himself, watching as both Vanellope and Candlehead were put into position.

Three

Two

One

 **GO**!

 _ **VRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOM**_!

"Ah-HA! There we go!" Litwak shouted with laughter, Candlehead taking off down the road "There's nothin' wrong at all!"

The kid who had picked Candlehead stood there slacked jawed for a moment "But...but she wouldn't move with me!"

"Seems to be runnin' fine now!" Litwak said, continuing down the lane and given Vanellope a run for her money "Quick, switch out before I lose road!"

The kid quickly took the wheel as she and Litwak switched places, the racer amazed to find that the controls were as smooth as butter, the game once again reacting to her.

"Yes! Yes, YES! It works!"

"Fine, then you better get ready for me when this turn is over." Said the other kid, Litwak giving them a friendly nod.

"See, there was nothin' to get worried about. This ol' thing is one of tha hardiest games I have in tha place!"

Everyone in the arcade let out a collective breath, Ralph doing much of the same in his home.

" _Saved."_

" _Ralph, move up!"_

The big man yelped, noticing Mary pointing upwards, the level getting ready to advance.

" _Ah, sorry ma'am!"_ Ralph waved, climbing up the building but he kept a watchful eye on the other game just in front of his own. The two players who had arrived early were now having the fun they wanted, both going between Vanellope and Candlehead during their turns and to everyone who was watching, it was quite the interesting match.

Many had always wondered what would have happened to the race if the roster were shrunken down to the old days where the number of cars up for grabs was much smaller and now? Now they were getting their chance.

It had all started that morning but over time, a que began to pick up again, Sugar Rush recovering from the disastrous races the previous day. A few made comments about their favorite racer not being on the listen but knowing they could actually race with one character who was given a fair chance over Vanellope was something a lot appeared to be pleased with.

And in the hospital, the other racers remained, still watching the events going on with the Candy people they were helping but feeling a tad guilty about splitting in such a way.

"Man, it feels weird ta just ditch a race like this…." Said Gloyd, Sakura sliding him an annoyed glint.

"As if you've never done such a thing before, darling."

"Hey! I never backed out of a race in protest!"

"Nah, you did it out of laziness."

"It just looks so empty." Nougetsia observed "I mean….even when I'm out, it's always so excitin' to see everyone else make it through the tracks but just two people? Only two?"

"That is the way a lot of older racers were before our time." Crumbellina said, adjusting one of the bows of a candy girl, sitting as if she were off in her own little world of calmness "We are used to being so large and grand, because in our time our creators wanted to try something different. But it is things like this I supposed that make you appreciate how far we've come from games such as Turbo Time."

The others felt a cold wind surrounding them, usually feeling such a thing whenever the caramel racer spoke in such a way but it was just the mention of Turbo Time that had done it. They were all so used to having the name yelled at them, it being the main source of blame for their actions against Vanellope all these years but if there was one thing that hit them all in that moment it was that even when they asked, no one seemed to want to tell them the truth of the game that had belonged to the man who had taken them over.

It was something they had all shared, even when after a while they convinced each other they were not to talk about it. That was all things they said to each other when the grown-ups had refused to say anything, sounding more shameful of themselves for some reason rather than just telling them the truth.

In fact, a lot of folks were acting weird once more and more news of what was happening in the game was starting to get out, many of them thinking it had more to do with the lot being upset that the racers were inching closer to proving there was more to them than first thought…

But what if there could have been more to it, more that had nothing to do with just the racers themselves?

As Taffyta sat with her napping Candy baby she felt the cloud loom over her. She knew she was going to have to face whatever was coming up next from the other citizens of the arcade but she just could not push that Turbo thought out of her head. It was part of the reason why she was having such a hard time watching such a small race, remembering that SMALL was what Turbo had started as before becoming such a big problem.

"I know people are gonna ask, an' I know she's gonna tell." Minty said, Taffyta looking over, the big green girl crossing her arms "All I can say is brace yourself guys. There's gonna be a tsunami of jerk-butts comin' in askin' why we didn't race or somethin'!"

"Think their heads will 'splod if we tell 'em it was something Vanellope wanted an' they won't be able to blame us?" Gloyd smiled, a few sharing his sentiments. Lumi grinned powerfully, enjoying the idea of Vanellope having to scramble to come up with excuses when things didn't go her way. Just watching Candlehead play as she had always meant to be was a treat to him, something he still wanted to do…

But seeing the players BEAT Vanellope with her was even better for the moment.

"Don't worry guys, we did the right thing! If this doesn't make it through Von Cheatz thick skull-!"

"Can ya cool it down, Gumbettino?!"

The boy jolted, looking over to see Taffyta glaring at him. Obviously some buttons had been pushed and it surprised the boy.

"Whoa, hold on there a sec. I thought ya wanted this."

"I did." The girl said in a huff, turning back around "Of course I did."

The others looked at the girl with weird expressions, wondering why she had turned so quickly on them.

" _At least Candlehead is havin' fun….."_

The players were indeed having their fun but Candlehead? It couldn't be easy to determine. From what Vanellope was able to see whenever she came up close against the girl, the cake-themed racer was giving it her all, putting aside whatever fear and self-loathing was baking inside her to fulfill her duty to the player.

She let them play as her but as Vanellope could see, and even feel a real connection between the girl and whoever picked her. It wasn't so much that Candlehead was in full control but rather a wonderful co-op that Candlehead seemed to be in much greater connection with than Vanellope.

Vanellope was simply letting the player pick and choose her, knowing all the routines of them once they figured out how to use her glitch but as Vanellope was starting to observe and sense herself, she just didn't have the same connection as Candlehead and it wasn't because of the player.

It was because of her.

Even as she drove, Vanellope had to wonder how Candlehead did it, how any of the other racers had done it. They had so many years stacked up against her and she had assumed that once she got into the driver's seat she would feel the same. After all, she had gotten them so many times wither glitch when it all began but as the weeks since her sudden reappearance happened, they caught up and they caught up FAST.

And that was when….

Snake.

All the complaints and accusations thrown at the racers.

That's when it had begun.

Vanellope was lost in her own thoughts, not realizing that Candlehead had caught up with her. She yelped, her voice drowned out by the roaring engines and cheering players who were having the time of their lives behind the screen. The vanilla racer caught a glimpse of Candlehead, seeing the look of determination on her face and as she looked into her mirror, seeing that Candlehead's player was also reflecting that same sweet energy. If she didn't know any better

There really was a connection there that she did not feel.

"She's really got this!" Vanellope said to herself, feeling impressed as she watched Candlehead and her player take to the road like true pros.

Things were even better once Vanellope realized that Snake had indeed kept to his words and there was not a single out-of-game cop on the track, just the usual doughnuts who did their respected jobs and let the girls pass without a single glitch. As more and more came to play, Vanellope realized just how much fun she was actually starting to have. It would have been better had the others joined her but there was something so wonderful about having a gaming session that was uninterrupted and it didn't matter if she won or not.

In fact, Vanellope found herself coming in second to Candlehead many times, with or without a player behind her. The challenge was starting to rise and it was the very thing that got Vanellope's blood pumping, the adrenaline within her code going.

She loved this.

She missed this.

Why had things like this stopped?

Everyone had blamed it on the other racers for stopping but…

Maybe…

Pretty soon, it wasn't just the players who were watching in excitement but every character within the arcade. Whether they were on duty or not, they found a way to watch the races, many of the older residence of the game making the loudest comments.

"This is how ya do it!" said someone "Non'a that road-hoggin' stuff! Can't even tell how many people are on screen! Put up two gladiators of the road together and see who comes out alive!"

Bets were made, teams were formed, it was just an exciting day.

" _ **WHOOO-HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"**_

And Vanellope was loving it.

There may have been a starting glitch but as time had gone one Vanellope had found great enjoyment in the awkward position the two girls had found themselves in and as Vanellope started to observe Candlehead more and more she realized something…..

"She really does have her own thing."

She was impressed by how Candlehead could form a bound with her player, even when the player was not allowed to know what was going on but to observe Candlehead by herself, up close and personal in such a way?

With no one else around, with no one else to push her, without the threat of Snake over her head, Candlehead had started to unwind, to let her true nature and love shine through.

Vanellope could see the light in the girl's eyes returning, the heat in her middle roaring like a flame as she took to her kart, her natural instincts taking over. The tiny racer in the massive kart was starting to run circles and corners around Vanellope, no glitch a match for her moves and her know-how of the Seekers. Vanellope began to smile, the challenge she loved returning, a challenge she had long since forgotten because of 'rules' and 'regulations' set up by Snake and his friends.

This was the Sugar Rush she knew.

This was the Sugar Rush she remembered.

This was the Sugar Rush she wanted.

The girl smiled but knew that Candlehead wasn't paying attention, her mind still focused on the track.

" _Glad ya didn't skip this one out, C-Butt."_

The longing Vanellope had for a proper race had been granted but like all good things, it came to an end far too quickly.

"It's almost time!" Vanellope moaned as she looked at the clock on the grandstand "I can't believe we're about to close."

Candlehead remained silent, looking away from the girl.

"Hey, hey." Vanellope piped, trying to bring back a bright atmosphere "Ya were really rockin' out there, C-Butt! Don't look so glum."

"I didn't make ya feel bad, did I?"

"Huh?"

The mint-chip girl gripped her arm, a shadow over her eyes "I didn't make ya feel bad when I beat ya, did I?"

Vanellope was still surprised to see that Candlehead was not only still depressed but also still so worried about taking a lead over the girl.

"C-Butt. This is a racin' game. We're supposed ta rocket down tha lanes! Blast off at tha speed'a light! That's who we are! That's who ya are!"

"But I didn't wanna spoil you winnin' streak."

"Forget that. Trophies don't mean Cracker-Jack if ya win 'em for nothin'."

"But you're tha leader here." The girl droned on "I'm…..I'm not supposed ta over-shadow ya. I'm…I'm supposed ta…."

Any good leader would have been able to say something to bring a doubting team mate back up.

Was Vanellope that leader?

She hesitated, not wanting to make things worse but also not wanting to just leave the girl to stew.

"L-Look! C-Butt! 'Bout what Snake has said….I…..I-!"

 _Just say it Vanellope._

 _Just say it!_

"I don't-!"

"All I'm sayin'-!" came a voce from the outside "If you're gonna pick one an' only one racer in the game, it's gotta be Vanellope! That's it! The others don't matter!"

Vanellope peered up towards the screen, seeing the last few players sitting about as they went about their 'conversation'.

"It's not like she's the only one ya can choose." Moppet said, leaning on the steering wheel of the game "What do ya think CHEWS your racer even means? Ya gotta ton'a racers ta pick from. It would get BORIN' if there were only ONE."

"Oh, please." Said the other "We all know there is only one racer in the game worth spendin' your quarters on an' that's Vanellope!"

"Why do ya say that?"

"Because she's got those cool powers!" the other player said "No one else does!"

"So? Even if the other racers don't have cool powers, I've had losta fun with 'em!"

"How can ya have fun with someone who can't warp?"

"I dunno, by usin' power ups and their other abilities?"

"Huh, as if anythin' is as good as being able to zip ahead of tha line." Said the other player "Vanellope is my go-to an' one an' only!"

"Then you're missin' out on a lot." Said Moppet "Vanellope is great but I like ta mix things up a bit! Find out new ways ta get that others ta do new tricks! I mean, I like Vanellope, don't get me wrong. She's awesome but I really can't say she's my favorite racer."

"But ya play her so much!"

"I play her a lot, yeah, but I like playin' everyone else as well."

"Why?" said the other player "They're just weaker versions of her!"

"What makes 'em weaker?"

"Like I said; powers. That's what counts in this game an' that's the final thing to make a winner!"

"If that's the case…." Said a rather hefty boy in a black shirt, smirking at the other speaker "Then I guess my last win with Candleheady was just a fluke?"

"Fine, take all the other racers. You can have 'em!" said the player "Me? I'm stickin' with tha one an' only! She's gonna carry me to the first place leaderboard, no questions!"

"I dunno…." Said a smaller girl in the group "Vanellope is fun an' all but I like playin' as Jubileena."

"That cherry pit?"

"Snowanna is fun cuz I like her rainbows an' she does all those cool ice tricks!" said another girl throwing her hands in the air with a laugh "Plus her hair is awesome! I wish I could dye my hair all rainbow colors an' stuff!"

"Adorabeezle is my favorite!"

"I like her sister!"

"Her sister? No, no, no. Beezie has the best bombs!"

"I can't choose between Jubileena or Citrusella! They're both so awesome!"

"Minty can sock it to 'em best!"

"Minty? Torvald for me!"

Rancis!

Swizzle!

Sticky!

Crumbellina!

Soon the entire group of kids were going about their favorite racers, a cheery attitude shared by all.

"I betcha like that Gloyd kid…" said one of the boy towards the other one in black "You two are both stinkers!"

"Me?" said the big boy "Nah, it's not Gloyd."

"Then who is it?"

"Minty Sakura."

Everyone went silent, odd looks about them upon hearing that such a boy could like someone so, so-!

SO DAINTY!

"What?" he shrugged, taking a sip of his soda "I love her aesthetic."

"See?" Moppet smiled to the player beside her "That's the best part 'bout a game like this. There are so many racers to choose from that there is someone for EVERYONE!"

"It still doesn't matter."

"Huh?"

"All these racers don't matter!" the player said, pointing to the others on the cabinet "This? This is just to show ya who ta BEAT! They're nothin' but PLACEHOLDERS for Vanellope to win against!"

 **PLACEHOLDERS**.

As if the racers hadn't heard that term thrown at them from enough people in the arcade, now the PLAYERS were doing it as well. Inside the hospital the group cringed.

"Can we ever catch a flippin' break?" asked Swizzle, moaning, a candy kid pulling on his shirt.

"I wan mo' Jell-wo."

Lumi looked up towards the tv screen, growling angrily "If I didn't think so, I'd say that Snake's gotta counterpart out there!"

"No one is a placeholder." Moppet said "If they were, we wouldn't be able to choose 'em."

"Puh, as if that matters." The other player said in a condescending tone "After all, it doesn't matter who you pick. They're all losers compared to Vanellope."

"The leader board would say otherwise." Snickered someone from the crowd, the list of names showing up for the daily total.

And from the looks of things, Candlehead's entries had gained well against Vanellope, the proof before all but it still wasn't enough for the other player, determined to show their superiority.

"They just got lucky or there's a glitch in the system!"

Now VANELLOPE was the one who twitched; had the player known everything…

"All of them are terrible racers!" the player continued "Their stats are NOTHIN' compared to Vanellope's and their karts are all stupid too! I mean, a cake kart? And what is Snow-Whoeverhername is riding in? They're nothing like Vanellope!"

"That's because they're not supposed to BE like Vanellope." Moppet said again, not understanding the vitriol being thrown towards the game "Why should they be like Vanellope? Where's the fun in that?"

"Maybe then they would all be cooler characters." The player laughed "I mean, what other reason why they give Vanellope powers and all these other losers NOTHING? To show us that she is the most important racer and the only racer you should choose. I mean, unless you LIKE picking an outcast of course."

Moppet looked around, seeing some of the younger players looking sadly about, rethinking their own player choices because of the negativity flowing around them. She didn't like this, not after the amount of fun she and the others had been having previously.

"Like Taffyta Mutt."

Moppet looked towards the cabinet, the aforementioned racer echoing her movements from within the game.

"Huh?"

"Muttonfreak or whatever her stupid name is." The other player went on "She shares the cabinet but she's the WORST of the lot."

The words of the player were heard by ALL in the arcade, everyone unable to move from their demo spots but their ears were open. This person had a lot of brass to speak so surly of themselves, unaware that within the game the target of their words could hear them loud and clear.

And she was FURIOUS.

"I've beaten Muttonfreak more times than I can count with Vanellope." The player continued "Just gotta blast before her and I leave her and those other losers in the dust. It's always best to beat her since the people who made this game OBVIOUSLY made her to be the bad guy. I mean, look at her. She's not like Vanellope so she HAS to be-"

"Mutton _ **FUDGE**_." Moppet leaned against her seat, crossing her arms. "Her name is MUTTONFUDGE." The girl said "An' I like her."

Everyone turned, Moppet looking a might miffed towards the group.

"I like Taffyta." Moppet continued "I found a way ta get her around Vanellope's move when I'm playin' solo with her. She's tha only one who can make tha turn easily against her. It's why I keep choosin' her."

Taffyta was frozen in surprise, her cheeks starting to tingle with warmth. She had never heard a player talk of her in such a way, especially Moppet but then things started to make sense. Moppet HAD been playing a great deal with her more when Vanellope had returned as well. It wasn't as if the girl had abandoned her playing when the candy President showed up and her METHODS of playing her had evolved as well.

How could she not have seen it? Moppet wasn't playing over and over because she couldn't beat Vanellope.

She was playing over and over to LEARN HOW to beat Vanellope.

And over time, she had. Taffyta had grown so constant in her own thoughts that she had forgotten the times when the player was in control of her, taking each win she had made to her own work. But there had always been someone behind her, a player at the controls and in the case of Moppet, she was being taught new skills and new moves to counter Vanellope each time.

It really was thanks to the player that Taffyta had managed to counter Vanellope so much, that new skills had been planted into her mind.

Moppet had ALWAYS been there for her.

But with everyone else telling her that she couldn't win, that she couldn't race-

"How can ya like Taffyta?" the other player bellowed "She's the worst!"

"Maybe to you?" the girl shrugged "You don't have ta like her, but I do. I always have fun playing with her!"

"But she's the bad guy!"

"Why do ya think that?"

"Because-! Because she's everything that Vanellope isn't!" the player went on "She doesn't have a cool kart! She has white hair an' all that pink-! She's not a President! She's-!"

"How in tha world do any of those things means she's a bad guy?" Moppet asked.

"Then what is she?"

"I dunno. A racer who likes strawberries. What's the big deal about that and why is that bad? Why should I feel bad for liking her?"

"Because-!"

The others looked around, the player feeling caught as they had nothing else to back up their claims.

"Look, I said it was okay. Ya don't hafta like her like I do." Moppet said, calmly "It's just that-!"

"That's just stupid!"

The others shook as the other's voice shook around the arcade, even Vanellope having a hard time keeping on her feet.

"WHOA!"

"You're just sayin' tha because ya know no one can beat Vanellope!"

"People had beaten her before ya got her." Moppet said, not wanting things to get too heated between the two "'Why is it such a big thing if someone else beats her? It all comes down ta who-"

"Look, I'll show ya!" said the other player as they got into the seat and plopped a quarter into the slot "One more race an' I show ya that Vanellope is UNBEATABLE!"

"Um, okay?" Moppet said, looking at the others nervously. They only shrugged and shook their heads; they had no idea where this was going to go.

"O-One more game." Vanellope said towards Candlehead "An' it feels like it's gonna be a DOOZY!"

The racers were chosen, Moppet going with Candlehead and the other going with Vanellope. Racers were at their marks, they were set, they were ready!

 **GO**!

And off they went, both girls feeling the control of the players at their hands, as if the they were sitting alongside with them.

This time Vanellope was going to do it. She was going to try to find that 'connection' that Candlehead seemed to get whenever someone picked her and as she looked off to the side, both she and Moppet already looked as if they were sharing the same force, the same energy.

Candlehead was going about gracefully in her moves but showing so much power, Moppet already taking the lead.

" _Okay, kiddo. Let's see how ya handle!"_ Vanellope said to herself, already feeling the harsh handling of the other player behind her but she took this to mean that she should let the player get equal footing with the kart. She breathed in and out, wondering what to do next.

" _Okay, is there a signal I should send out or somethin'? Maybe I could-!"_

 **GLITCH**!

Already into the race and Vanellope felt her glitch being used, speeding head of Candlehead in a flash.

"HA!" laughed the other player "I told ya that Vanellope is better! She's the only one who can-!"

Moppet said nothing, taking a hard turn with Candlehead and skidding against a wall. She stuck the move, the character inside feeling the heat and smelling the cooking sugar under her as she sped up faster, faster, and faster-!

 **BOOM**!

Candlehead's massive kart JUMPED ahead of the curve and landed in front of Vanellope, Candlehead letting out a gasp from the move.

"WHOO! Like extra fizz ta tha FACE!" coughed Vanellope.

"HEY!"

Moppet said nothing as she kept her focus on driving, gripping the wheel harder.

"Ya can't make a move like that!"

"Who says she can't?" said the chubby boy in black "I don't hear any buzzers goin' off."

The other player growled, pressing hard on the gas to increase Vanellope's speed but the road was narrow, Candlehead's massive kart blocking the road.

"GET OUT OF THE WAY!"

"This is a race!" Moppet said "An' I'm doin' this ta win!"

As the race was heating up in the OUTSIDE, things were doing just the same on the INSIDE. The racers within the hospital watched the battle ensure on the TV, everyone hooting and cheering as the events continued to unfold.

"Wow! Things never got this exciting all day!" said Minty, jumping up and cheering but Taffyta remained surprisingly silent, her eyes stuck on Candlehead as she and Vanellope approached the gurgling grape gorge.

THIS was gonna be a tough one.

The two karts headed down the rough track, both feeling their vehicles taking hits but they could do nothing about it on their own, the full control left to their players.

"WOOOOOW!" cried Vanellope "By tha time I get outta this I'M gonna be tha one mushed inta jelly!"

 **GLITCH**!

Vanellope felt the glitch happening beyond her control, going a good distance in front of Candlehead-

"Ah-!"

 **GLITCH**!

And again!

"Huh?!"

 **GLITCH**!

And again!

"A-AH!"

And AGAIN!

 **GLITCH GLITCH GLITCH GLITCH!**

"Haha, try beatin' that!" said the other player, laughing loudly once they had taken a great distance in front of Candlehead "No powers, no chance!"

Moppet didn't reply, keeping her focus and concentration well on Candlehead's progress to make sure that she stayed on the road and didn't get any more damage but from the other players, it appeared that she didn't have a chance. Vanellope had taken a massive lead before her and from the looks of things, there was no way to catch up.

But what they didn't know was that something far worse was happening than a few back placements.

Inside, Vanellope felt TERRIBLE, her body starting to ache again as she felt the same sickness come over her that had grounded her days before.

"N-No! NOT AGAIN!" she panted, her stomach hurting and her head pounding.

It was as the doctor warned; if she glitched too many times in one pace, she would only get sick once again.

 **GLITCH**!

But the player was unaware of this, pushing the button again and again to keep the girl glitching.

"This is what you get for challenging Vanellope-!"

"Hey, look!"

The smaller girl pointed towards the screen, looking at Vanellope's health bar.

"You're gonna get a damage kart! You're almost out!"

"What?!" said the other player "That-! How could I get so much damage?! I didn't do anything!"

"Keep your eyes on the road!" said the boy in black "You're gonna hit-!"

 **BOOM**!

Vanellope crashed right into a candy boulder, more damage put on her counter.

"OOOOH!" said Gloyd as he and the others watched the race continue "That's GOTTA hurt!"

"They're almost to the end!" said Snowanna, trying to keep from jumping up and putting stress on her injuries "Ya think Candlehead can catch up?!"

"I-I know she can!" said Lumi "Don't count her out just yet! She has a trick!"

"Ya mean, the PLAYER has a trick." Said Swizzle as he looked over at the gummie boy "This isn't like a race where we can run on our own! Both of 'em are at tha player's hand if C-Butt is gonna make it…."

"It's up ta that girl." Taffyta finally said, her eyes going wide "Oh please, oh please, oh PLEASE!"

Everyone turned, Taffyta looking at the tv longingly with the baby still in her arms.

"Taff?"

"C'mon, C-Butt!" the girl in pink cheered towards her friend "C'mon, C'MON!"

The race was coming down to the final miles, Vanellope gaining back some strength as she tried to keep her lead but Candlehead was coming up faster and faster, Moppet determined to take her win.

"Ya can't catch up!" shouted the other player, trying their best to discourage the blond girl "I-I'm too far ahead! What can ya do ta get your place back!?"

"A lot!" Moppet said in a rough voice "In the end, it doesn't matter what if your racer has powers….ya gotta WORK WITH 'EM!"

Moppet hit another hard turn, going through a hidden tunnel….filled with Seekers!

"AW YEAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" cheered the boy in black, forgetting that the others were around him "Aw, I LOVE that little spot! It's so hard to get!"

The other player could do nothing more than flap their mouth like a fish, also taken by surprise from the hidden pathway "I didn't know-!"

 **SPINKLE DINKLE DOO!**

A sweet one!

Glittering sprinkles surrounding Candlehead as she felt her kart power up, her speed increase! The tunnel ended as she jetted forward, getting right at Vanellope's tail.

"An' one shot!"

In a blast, Moppet sent sprinkles going Vanellope's way, the vanilla racer's kart hit and-

"Ooooooooh-wooooOOOOOOOOW!"

Her mind caught in a trance.

"SPRINKLE DOO!" shouted Taffyta "CANDLEHAD TOLD ME ABOUT THIS ONE! It makes whoever is hit all ditzy an' confused for a while!"

"Um, we know that." Nougetsia blinked, surprised to see Taffyta so giddy "Not like ya haven't used that on us before."

The strawberry racer suddenly realized she was being watch, getting back to her own mind.

What had just happened?

"Er-!"

She blushed again, the candy baby in her arms stirring.

"Ah, shhh! I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

"Um, I never figured that Taff would be that good with babies." Commented Gloyd.

"Me neither but they all went over to her in a heart-beat." Added Nougetsia.

Lumi looked on, appearing to be the only one who wasn't surprised by what he was seeing, the boy showing worry if anything else.

" _If tha game were back…."_ He whispered to himself _"You'd know why….you'd 'member why."_

On the track, Vanellope felt as if she were in a daze, as if her body were lifting right from the kart and into the sky.

" _This is so peeeeacefuuuuull….."_ she droned on, rainbows in her eyes _"I never thought I could fly like this? Am I flyin'? Am I swimmin'? I'm I fwinmmin'? Yeaaaah, let's call it fwimmin'. Fwimmin' sounds coooooool…."_

 _Vanellope_.

The girl looked above her, below her. Where had that voice come from?

 _Vanellope_.

" _Buh_?"

 _You know I will not have you racing with those lower-crust roughians!_

The girl felt some mind coming back to her as the older voice echoed around her.

" _H-huh?"_

 _They are below us, Vanellope! If those outside the country see you going around with them, they'll think YOU'RE lower-crust as well!_

"….Mom?"

Suddenly the once bright and pastel colors began to fade, turning into a muddled BLACKNESS around her. The girl yelped, her body still floating in the air but the air was cold, dank, and musty.

 _ **DON'T YOU DARE THINK ABOUT DISAPOINTING US, YOUNG LADY!**_

"Mom?! MOM! WHERE ARE YOU?!"

 _ **THEY WILL ONLY BRING US DOWN!**_

Vanellope was terrified, lightening flashing, thunder booming, glitches everywhere!

"M-Mom! STOP! I-! NO! THEY-!"

It felt as if she could not say anything, the young girl's mind so frazzled but as she looked towards the clouds….

A large figure began to form before her, cloaked in darkness and stomping towards her.

 **YOU ARE BETTER THAN THEM, VANELLOPE!**

"What are you talking about?!"

 _ **THEY DO NOT BELONG, VANELLOPE!**_

"WHO DOESN'T?!"

 _ **THE BEST WAY TO BE A PRINCESS-!**_

Vanellope was transfixed upon the figure but as quickly as it had formed it began to shift once again.

It became taller, thinner, sharper, a loud HISSING echoing in the air.

Vanellope felt her heart stop, her pixels twitch.

Snake.

It couldn't be.

He leered down at her, smirking and posed ready to pounce but-

 **GLITCH**!

Turbo!

 **GLITCH**!

SNAKE!

 **GLITCH**!

King Candy?

So many glitches, so many faces of people. What was going on?

 _ **TH-TH-THE BEST WAY TO BE YOU-!**_

"W-What….what's happenin'?"

 _ **IS TO DO THINGS MY WAY!**_

Vanellope screamed as the face rushed towards her but in a flash-!

 **DOON DOON DOON!**

The effects had worn off, Vanellope feeling as if she had been dropped back into her seat and with that-!

 **GLITCH**!

Going off the player's control, Vanellope GLITCHED hard which resulted in her kart turning BACKWARDS and clumsily rolling about down the road.

"WHOA!" shouted Minty, she and the others watching the events "She's never done that before."

"Yes, she has…." Taffyta huffed, the others looking towards her "Stupid glitch pulled that move when she snuck her way on the track."

Maybe that move had worked before…but now?

Now Vanellope had no control, her player scrambling to realign the racer.

"Stop, STOP!" the player screamed, trying to hit the glitch button but there was no response, Vanellope only ending up more twisted than before "YOU WORKED THE LAST TIME! WHY WON'T YOU NOW?!"

Meanwhile Moppet kept her focus, leading Candlehead down the track with Vanellope fumbling behind her. She had gained enough length before Vanellope and the finish line was just one more tunnel away! The battle was now coming to a close, the other player hanging on but one in particular was less than pleased by what they saw.

"THIS ISN'T FAIR! THIS ISN'T FAIR! Vanellope won't respond!"

"Stop jerkin' the wheel like that!" said another player "You're makin' things worse!"

In the final moments the other player regained control but it was far too late now. They could no longer glitch and Vanellope's kart was still slipping along the lines, unable to get in a descent position.

"I'm not gonna lose ta some Candle-fart!" the other play yelled, ramming Candlehead with their kart.

"Hey!" shouted Moppet, both she and Candlehead thrown off course.

"I told ya, Vanellope is tha only one who's supposed ta win! She's tha only one who can race! She's tha only character worth pickin'!"

"It's all about how ya work tha wheel…." Moppet said with a growl, fed up with just how she was being treated in what was supposed to be a friendly game "But if you need anymore proof-!"

The girl worked the control stick, holding Candlehead next to the wall and gaining so much speed she was once again wall climbing.

"Whoa-!"

"An' now-!" said Moppet "A lil sweet treat!"

The girl pressed a button, using one of her stored Seekers on the kart itself which gave it a much needed SUPER CHARGE but rather than jetting ahead of Vanellope, Moppet sent the kart in a series of barrel rolls through the tunnel. Not only had it increased Candlehead's speed greatly but it kicked up so much ice scream and slush from the power-up that Vanellope found herself slowing down considerable, the combination of the cold and the thick pile-up of the slush making her slow down.

"No!" cried her player, Vanellope far more impressed as she watched Candlehead disappear out of the tunnel in a sparkling wave of ice cream frost. Candlehead pushed on and from the looks of everyone, it might as well have been Moppet they saw in the seat as the kart careened down the road and-!

DA DING!

 _ **CANDLEHEAD WINS!**_

The AI crowds cheered loudly as the cake themed racer passed her mark, Vanellope finally coming out of the tunnel but the victory music had already began and she had missed her chance at landing the second place screen-shot.

"HA!" Moppet cheered, throwing her hands in the air "GOT IT!"

The other kids in the crowd cheered as well, the winning animation continuing before them as they all ran to Moppet.

"Wow, that was amazing!"

"Can ya teach me how ta do that?"

"I always have trouble beatin' Vanellope with Sakura. Ya got any tips for her?"

"Guys, wait." The girl said, shaking her head "It's not like I have tips n' tricks for everythin'! I-!"

" _ **CHEATED**_!"

The group turned, the angry player glaring at Moppet.

"Huh?"

"YOU CHEATED!"

"Cheated?" Moppet said, confused "How can ya think I-?"

"There is NO WAY that ANY of those STUPID racers could beat Vanellope!" the other player roared "There-! There had ta be some other way! Ya had to have done somethin'!"

"What could I have done?" Moppet said, defending herself "Ya saw me. I was right next to ya an' I didn't put in a code or anythin'. I just played the game!"

"If ya played tha game RIGHT, ya wudda LOST!"

"No." Moppet said, her voice going deeper as she felt some anger come over her "I picked my racer, I played tha game as I always did. I didn't do anything other than PLAY. Playin' as Vanellope doesn't mean you're gonna win INSTANTLY. None of the characters are an instant win, ya just hafta know how ta pl-!"

"YES IT DOES!" the other player roared at Moppet, shoving her down in her seat "VANELLOPE IS THE ONLY RACER THAT IS WORTH ANYTHING IN THIS STUPID GAME! SHE'S THE ONLY ONE THAT CAN DO ANYTHIN'! SHE'S THA ONLY ONE WITH POWERS! POWERS MEAN YA CAN BEAT EVERYONE!"

"Settle down." Said an older girl, taking the other player by the shoulder and pulling them away from Moppet "It's just a GAME. Ya know, something we're supposed to have FUN with. Losin' isn't the end of the world so-!"

"I know you cheated…." The player hissed at Moppet, pointing a finger at the girl "There is no way someone like YOU could beat me with someone as STUPID as Candle-farts or whatever her name is."

"Hey." Said the older girl, her brows creasing "You keep acting like that? You can get out."

"You're not in charge of me!"

"But _**I**_ am."

The group went still as the familiar voice of LITWAK approached them, his face not looking as friendly as it usually did.

"I don't allow fights in my arcade." The man said, his arms crossed "An' if ya keep roughin' up people in here, ya can call yourself BANNED."

"BANNED?!" shouted the racer "You can't ban me!"

"Lower your voice. It's not that bigg'a d-!"

"THIS IS STUPID!" the player shouted as they towered over Moppet, staring her down "The stupid game messed up, otherwise I wudda won!"

"But it-!"

"Admit it, cheater! Admit ya cheated because ya know Candlehead is stupid! Candlehead is stupid an' so are you!"

"Please, if you're gonna behave this way, leave." Said Litwak, a few of the younger players surprised at how stern he was, many of them moving back a tad "We're about to close anyway so maybe it would be best if ya went home. Calm down before ya come back."

"I'm NEVER comin' back here." The player growled "This arcade is stupid an' old anyway! An' this game is stupid an' old!"

Before anything else could be said the player stormed out of the arcade, slamming the door hard and knocking the bells to the ground.

" _Awkwaaaaard_ …." Said the chubby boy in black, sipping his soda.

"Sorry, Mr. Litwak." Moppet sighed as she got out of the driver seat of the game "Maybe I pushed 'em a bit too far."

"Nah, it's okay." The man nodded "I'm just glad ya didn't stoop down ta fight. That one has always been loud but I didn't think they could be that bad. I'll give 'em a warnin' next time they try comin' in here ta start anything."

"I just think they were upset they didn't win." Moppet said "All I did was play tha game like I always do. I didn't think people would get that upset if Vanellope didn't win."

"Ignore 'em." Said the older girl, leading the others out as the arcade began to close down "If they're more concerned with showin' off than havin' fun, what kinda racer does that make 'em?"

Moppet wasn't really sure how to respond, still a might upset from the exchange that had gone on.

"I just told them I liked the other racers. Is that a bad thing?"

Soon the arcade was empty but the all clear wasn't called. How could it be when everyone within the games were still in shock from the exchange they had just witnessed? They have never seen a fight like that before, all the vitriol caused by two little racers in a certain racing game.

Vanellope continued to clutch her second place trophy, the words echoing in her head before looking to her side and seeing Candlehead. She looked pale and empty, the large first place trophy held weakly in her hands.

"Candles?"

No reply.

"Candlehead?"

The girl said nothing, as if the words the other player had said still affected her.

 _Candlehead is stupid and so are you!_

Vanellope knew she had to do something, that she had to SAY something….but what?

"Hey, good run there, Candlehead!" she smiled cheerfully, hoping to bring the racer's spirits up "Ya really gave me a run for my money!"

Nothing.

"Aaaw, don't be so Glum, Chum! Don't even believe what that jerk-face said, C-Butt! They just got their pants in a twist cuz Moppet Blonidie was able ta run circles with ya!"

"Y-Ya think so?"

PROGRESS!

Candlehead had spoken, a sure sign that someone had been hit and in a good way! Vanellope smiled, draping her arm around the girl as the two prepared to walk off.

"Pffft, they looked like they were gonna wet their pants when ya pulled that move! I mean, seriously? That turn? Tha heck did ya learn that?"

Candlehead was blushing a little, a small smile forming on her face.

Yes, yes! This is what Vanellope wanted.

"I-It kinda happened by accident…." The girl managed to squeak out, a little playful giggle bouncing in her voice "S-she found a way ta, I dunno, slide on tha walls like that an' when we got off tha tracks? I-I guess I wanted ta do ta same thing so I practiced how ta do it myself."

"Can ya teach me?"

Candlehead's eyes widened as she looked at Vanellope, the girl looking at her in surprise.

"H-huh?"

"Okay, okay, maybe not exactly." Said Vanellope "I dun wanna steal your thing but I've been tryin' ta learn how ta do a wall slide without automatically glitchin' ta it for-! Well ever since I got back! I saw ya do it so easily without a glitch so-!"

" _ **YOU LITTLE MORON!"**_

Both girls screamed, Vanellope jumping and clutching her arms around Candlehead. Their eyes went to the end of the track, a familiar figure SLITHERING up the path with his armies ready behind him.

"You have a lot of nerve ssssstealing Vanellope'ssssss lasssst win!"

For a moment the vanilla racer went blank, a little confused to what Snake was talking about but she glitched, her mind coming back to her as she stepped away from the girl.

"Now, Snake. Hold on a sec!" Vanellope said, her voice coming out sternly and protectivly"She didn't steal no win from me. She won it, fair an' square."

"Likely ssstory!" the reptile hissed, bearing down upon the cake racer "Asss usssual. I can ssssmell a CHEAT from here, just like the player sssssaid!"

Vanellope felt her brows furrow in frustration; she knew she had given Snake her trust before but after everything the two had gone through throughout the day, she knew this wasn't right. It was bad enough the player had gone off on Candlehead, the last thing she needed was an entire mob from WITHIN and Snake was more than ready to incite it.

"GIVE ME THAT!" Snake hissed as he SNATCHED Candlehead's winner cup from her grasp "You don't dessserve thissss!"

Candlehead didn't fight back, only looking up at the reptile with defeated eyes, his groupies coming up behind him and laughing.

"Lil dum-dum thought she could get it?" said Baston.

"Aaaaaw, how sad." Purred Felia, a few others muttering their own words about the girl.

"Itssss assss that player sssaid." The snake hissed, a chuckle in his throat "What chancessss are there that sssssome empty-headed placeholder can win, essssspecially with your lack of sssskillssss?"

The cake racer took the words, Snake flicking her on the chin.

"Hehe, jusssst asss I thought. Nothing insssside, nothing outsssside. And now we can give thissss trophy back to who it belongsss t-!"

"Hey, give that back to her!"

Snake felt a tug, looking down to see Vanellope scowling up at him, the cup now in her hands.

"THIS…." Vanellope began, her voice heavy "Belongs to Candlehead."

Snake and his followers went silent, not expecting Vanellope to make such a move in front of them. The little racer was indeed angry, reclaiming her power against the mob but she softened, not to show fear before the crowd.

Rather to show Candlehead she cared.

"What am I, a race horse?" the girl snorted, shaking her head "I heard'a bets but what's got you guys that up ta make sure I win? S'not like if I don't I'm gonna 'splode or somethin'! Give C-butt her-!"

" _I'm sorry."_

Vanellope turned around, Candlehead backing away from the trophy as if she were afraid to touch it.

"C-Butt?"

Vanellope could see the girl trembling, the tears forming in her eyes but despite it all…

She still smiled.

Her face was turning red but that little smile was still on her face, Vanellope seeing the defeat in her eyes.

"M-Mr. Snake-Oil is right. I didn't mean ta make ya loose." Candlehead said, her voice shaking "I…I know it's better if tha players win with ya."

"What?! No!" Vanellope gasped "How-?! That's not what tha race is about! We're all supposed ta have fun! We're-!"

"This is your game." The other girl continued, feeling the looks of the others coming down upon her "I-!"

The cake girl couldn't take it anymore, holding up her head as she turned and ran towards the exit of the track, rushing off in a flash and leaving Vanellope with the mob.

"C-Candlehead-?" Vanellope said, snapping to as she started to go after her "Candlehead! No! Don't leave! You-!"

"Bah! Let the little dunce go."

The vanilla racer turned, Snake and his other cohorts chucking to themselves as Candlehead disappeared down the path.

"Ssstupid wassste of sssspace." Snake went on, a smile curled on his lips "Of courssse ssshe would run back to the otherssss. Welp can't even defend her own cheating."

"She-!"

"You were bein' too nice to her." Continued Baston "An' I guess that's cool an' all but she needs ta learn her place!"

The other members of the group nodded and made their words of agreement, Vanellope standing silent amongst them.

" _But…but she's upset. I…I wanna help her."_

"Help?" Snake-Oil chuckled "If anyone wantssss to do ssssomething to help thissss game out, they should reprogram thosssse Placeholdersssss properly!"

Again the crowd cheered, Vanellope staying quiet as the trophy felt heavier in her hands.

"Hey."

The girl looked up, seeing a familiar figure in red parting through the crowd.

Ralph.

"Ah, Ralph." Snake said in a cheerful voice "I am ssssso happy to sssssee you!"

Ralph ignored the reptile and made his way to Vanellope, seeing the sadness on her face.

"Kiddo? Ya okay?"

"Y-yeah, I am!" the girl replied nervously "It's just that-!"

"What was up with tha two-player option today?" the big man said, looking about "Somethin' happen ta tha rest of the guys that I don't know 'bout?"

"Oh, you MUSSSST know!" Snake butted in, ready to inform Ralph on the news of what the racers had done "Thossssse horrible little bratsssss are at it again!"

Ralph arched an eye, Snake missing the signs that if Ralph were showing any suspicion it wasn't towards the racers this time, but instead his 'fellow bad guy'.

"Oh? An' what is it now, Snakey?"

"I arrived on the sssscene early, to inssssure that nothing wassss out of place but thossssse sssssnooty Placeholdersssss! They had the nerve to-!"

"They forgot ta tell me they were volunteerin' today!"

Everyone looked down, Vanellope holding a hand up in the air.

"Presssssident?"

"I know tha news passed ya, an' I'm sorry for that, Snakey but this is what happened." Vanellope began, regaining some courage "Tha guys? I guess they all made plans on volunteering at Gingerbread General but some things got mixed up an' they all had ta rush it in today."

"What, really?" Blinked Ralph.

"Yeah! Can ya imagine it?" the girl lied, keeping her footsteps and words forward to prevent Snake from butting in "An-! An' they were really needed in tha whole thing! I couldn't just make them choose so in tha end-? Aaaah, we drew straws an' C-Butt n' I were picked ta race! We made sure ta make it look like 'nother special mode so no one got all nosey n' stuff!"

Ralph was no dummy in the situation and knew that Vanellope was lying but to what exactly he did not know. All he knew was that Vanellope wanted to get away from the mob, to find some sanctuary without Snake and his cohorts breathing down her neck but given how they managed to sneak their way everywhere the two went, the best Ralph could offer was her protection.

And of all times, did she really need it now.

"That's….sweet." Ralph said, smiling as not to make the others around him wonder "Wow. You're right, kid. IT IS NO BIG DEAL."

Ralph made certain Snake heard those words, the reptilian boss thankfully shutting up.

"At least Vanellope won first place." Baston said, unaware of his foolish act in doing so.

"I thought Candlehead took tha final cup." Ralph said, his tone holding annoyance for the other bad guy "I mean, I did watch tha final race an' all."

"That dunder-head? Naaaaaaaaah, it was all Vanellope's!"

The crowd agreed, Ralph looking down at the plaque as he spotted the name.

First Place

Candlehead

He looked further, noticing something else written under the plaque but he couldn't make it out, almost as if it were halfway generated during the celebration ceremonies.

"Haaa….HA-? What?"

"How 'bout this?" Baston said "We clear our minds by headin' down ta Tap's!"

"Um, I wanted ta just relax with Vanellope tonight." The big man said, putting a gentle hand atop his friend's head "She looks tired, guys. Can't we-?"

"Aw, and wassssste such a good night?" Snake said, recovering quicker than Ralph had wanted "Live a little, you two and enjoy the sssspoilsssss of the arcade."

The group began to hoop and cheer again, Ralph now the one feeling so small compared to the rest of them. What ever happened to that buddy-buddy feeling he used to have with them? Now it was as if he and Vanellope had wandered into a whole new landscape, either of them having the ability to get out.

"Yeah, let's go!" shouted another one of the group members as they grabbed Ralph by the arm and started to drag him and Vanellope out of the game.

"Bwhoa, guys! W-wait!"

Whatever Ralph wanted to say?

It was too late now.

* * *

Candlehead slowly walked down the path back towards Gingerbread General, the thought of arriving where the others were making her sick. She knew what was awaiting her; anger, yelling, just more heartache and sadness. She had done what she thought was right but she knew the others would be upset, most of all Taffyta.

She had planned on staying neutral throughout the entire thing, neither picking Vanellope or Taffyta in her choice to avoid any more pain but in this case she knew she had to do something with Vanellope, she had to race with her even as much as she still agreed with Taffyta in many areas.

She just wanted everyone to be friends again or at the very least to stop everyone from blaming each other for things she knew they played no part in. She felt Taffyta, though justified in a lot of her issues and anger, was taking things way too far against Vanellope, replaying the sort of torment that everyone had partaken in when Turbo was still the King. On Vanellope side, Candlehead knew she was just trying to impress her new friends but she wished she could get a word in, that she wouldn't be ignored anymore given she just wanted to treat everyone fairly again.

But nothing was working. No matter what she did, not matter what the others did, no matter what Vanellope did it felt like Sugar Rush was once again out of their hands, being controlled by an out-of-gamer who had their own plans on making the entire thing into their own personal playground.

Would Sugar Rush truly be free? Would they come a time when the racers would one day wake up, knowing that they belonged in the bigger picture of things?

Candlehead just did not know.

"Hey."

The girl stopped and looked up, stunned to see Taffyta standing outside the entrance of the hospital, leaning on the wall and tapping her foot on the ground with her plushy straw-beastie slippers. The others, plus a few candy patrons, were watching, all nervous to what could be on its way.

Here it comes. She was going to get an earful this time.

But….

Taffyta's look of anger slowly began to fade.

The strawberry racer uncurled herself from her stance, looking over at Candlehead in sadness. What was going on? Why the sudden change in attitude?

Candlehead was hunched over a bit, almost as if she were sure Taffyta would strike her just as Snake had done earlier.

" _T-Taffyta?"_

The white-haired girl looked down, Candlehead seeing the worry reflected in her eyes.

Embrace.

Should this have been unexpected?

Not really.

A few of the others felt silly to think that Taffyta would turn on Candlehead in such a way, suddenly remembering that as strawberries and cake made a good couple, the two were inseparable.

"C'mon…." the pink racer said, her voice sounding just as sad as Candlehead as the two left the hospital, heading back to Taffyta's cottage "Ya need rest..."

The others returned inside the hospital, Rancis sighing "Guys, I think it's best that we leave those two be."

"Yeah…." Said Swizzle, tugging at his collar "It's been a crazy enough day as it is."

The racers then went off their separate ways but Lumi remained in the hospital with the other bound racers not so much because he felt his injuries required him to do so but because he didn't have anywhere to go. Even though Taffyta had offered him her home, it didn't feel right for him to just arrive when both she and Candlehead needed their space.

They had both been hurt so badly over the course of everything that the last thing they needed to see was a reminder that the game was still broken in some way.

Him.

Everything still felt so wrong, so mixed up and the outsiders weren't helping anything. As he lay in his bed, the room so chilly and uncomfortable, he could only wonder if everything he was certain was true was made up as well. Maybe it was all a lie, maybe everything he was 'remembering' were implants from Turbo, the racer somehow able to get to him as well.

He was also certain that by this time things would have been fixed, that he would have lead the group through some revolution to stake a reclaim of the game he felt rightfully belonged to them but any progress they had made, even with some of the areas brought up, it still felt unreal, fake, as if nothing he was going was even getting him close to what he wanted or what the other racers wanted.

They wanted to feel at home in their own game but since the fallout things had only gotten worse and Snake was getting bolder. He had not told the doctors or the others what had truly happened to him but if Snake were that eager and willing to thrash him, what would he do to a racer who was officially connected to the game?

 _Little did Lumi know, Snake had already taken his 'actions' out._

His stomach began to ache as he wondered what his parents would have done, what the King and Queen would have done if they were there.

But they were not.

The only people in the game were a gaggle of wayward racers and many outsiders who had swooped in and taken their homes.

This was not Sugar Rush anymore.

This was a nightmare.

The next morning came faster than the others had hoped, their minds in a fury of what their next move would be.

"Did anyone talk ta Taffyta last night?" asked Swizzle.

"No, she didn't even call this morning." Said Nougetsia.

"Then what are we gonna do?" growled Minty "She said she was gonna give us tha signal but she leaves us like this! How are we gonna know when ta move!?"

"We move NOW."

The racers turned, Taffyta, and greyed Candlehead, making their way down the path.

"Taffyta, we're close enough on tha clock as it is!" said Swizz, the boy looking more than worried "What are we-!?"

"We're racin' again."

The others stood in surprise at the statement.

"What?"

"Get your butt in your karts…." The strawberry girl growled "The track is waitin' for us."

"Hold on a second, luv." Rancis said "As much as I disagreed with the idea of a strike in the first place, what made you change your mind so quickly? It was only ONE DAY!"

The pink racer scowled, walking past the peanut-butter racer.

"Didn't you hear what those kids said yesterday, Butter-Brains?"

"Kids? What do you-?"

"They come in here every day waiting to pick us. Waiting to choose their favorite racer…." The girl continued "What kinda racers would we be to disappoint 'em?"

A few of the others knew the intentions were quite different than what Taffyta had said but the lines were right there; she knew it was wrong.

She wanted to race.

And she knew she couldn't keep the others from racing.

A few smiles were shared but nothing more was said, the racers getting their karts and jetting off to the track. Much to their surprise, Ralph and Vanellope were already there, the racers left to wonder if the Wrecker had only arrived on the scene to reprimand them from their past actions. Taffyta prepared herself, bracing and ready to take the hit.

" _Don't be scared guys."_ She whispered to the others _"Once it's over, we'll be back ta-"_

"Ya guys look kinda down this mornin'. What's up?"

Taffyta blinked, Ralph's calm yet curious tone catching her off guard.

"Yo."

She looked up, the big man standing with his arms crossed but his brows were also crossed in worry.

"Kids, don't SCARE me like that." The big man said "When we saw that only two of ya made it on tha board, we thought somethin' had happened."

Again, silence from the racers; was Ralph actually being OPEN towards them? The strawberry racer gave Vanellope a look, the vanilla racer standing about with her hands in her pockets and very worn.

Apparently she had had a talk as well.

"Guys…."

All eyes were on the President, waiting her words. Why was she so nervous? Vanellope NEVER felt this nervous in the face of a crowd.

"Next time ya wanna take a break, just tell me 'kay?"

 **BREAK.**

Taffyta ears twitched at the usage of the word BREAK rather that STRIKE and in an instant she knew that the story had been changed.

Vanellope HADN"T tattled on them, rather making up another tale in order to keep some fury off the others. To say the least, the young Muttonfudge was at a loss for words, not expecting Vanellope to defend them ESPECIALLY after the previous race's exploits.

There was only one thing left to do.

"I know we didn't set tha proper roster last night…." Vanellope sighed, running her hand through her hair "So….open spots okay? Doesn't matter who wants in. If ya want a spot, ya can take it."

"Really?" meeped Adorabeezle, her eyes big "Even after we-?"

"Just get ready guys." Vanellope cut in, going to her own kart "We don't have tha much time before tha races start, okay?"

The others just nodded, each one clumsily taking their places, Taffyta rolling her kart next to Vanellope.

It was awkward, it was uncomfortable but…

"Thanks."

Vanellope looked over, Taffyta averting her eyes but the vanilla girl could see the blush forming on the other's face.

"Thanks for doin' this…." Taffyta said again "You didn't hafta."

"Yeah. I kinda did."

Finally the girl turned her attention towards Vanellope and-

She could see it in her eyes.

They were puffy, drawn.

Had Vanellope been CRYING?

"I'm tha President of this game, right?" the girl said, coughing a bit to clear her throat "Th-then I gotta make sure all ya guys are here an' ready. People EXPECT us ta race."

Taffyta knew there were more words, hidden words, to what Vanellope actually wanted to say but she kept herself mum this time. The candy President had lent them a hand by keeping the true meaning of their previous absence secret and Taffyta was no dummy; she didn't want to break a chance she had been given. Instead, all focus was put on racing.

With the exception of two.

"You're not gonna race again?"

Lumi and Candlehead were walking away from the track once again, the girl of the duo far too nervous to even look back at the starting line. Even if she had shown she still had her energy, just knowing that Snake and the others could come back at any moment?

She didn't want to face them.

She didn't want to face HIM.

She didn't want to get hurt anymore.

Candlehead shook her head as she turned away from Lumi "I-I did enough yesterday. I don't think I'm really ready ta come back."

"But-! But ya ran circles 'round Vanellope!" the boy said "I've never seen ya so fast on tha track!"

"I had ta be!"

"An' it was great!" the boy said "Why back out now?"

"I just-!"

From afar, Ralph looked upon the two children, his mind in a worry to what was being exchanged.

Candlehead fidgeted, looking back towards the village "I…I just need ta rest. I-I only wanna come back when I really feel like I can race again."

"But-!"

"Lumi, please!" the girl begged, her voice squeaking "Can I just go home now?!"

The boy in green said nothing, rubbing the back of his head as he realized he had once more spoken out of term.

"O-Okay, C-Butt. Ya can rest at home as long as ya wanna…."

The two racers then exited the track, Ralph taking note that things had not been fully fixed yet. There was still a lot that needed to be done.


	34. Chapter 33-Is Revenge Sweet?

Chapter Thirty Three- Is Revenge Sweet?

Things went about the same as they always had with the group.

The players came.

The players raced.

The roster had been entered.

Finally, it was time to rest.

Of course, Snake had made sure that he had a front row seat to the roster, keeping his leering eyes on how Vanellope was doing and he made plenty sure to scoop both she and Ralph up before either of them could say no otherwise.

His plans?

Another wonderful round at Tapper's.

The night out with Snake-Oil and his buddies went about as well as one could imagine for both Ralph and Vanellope. A lot of talking, a lot of laughing but this time the two 'honored guest' spoke not a word. Rather, they remained in the center of the bunch, silenced to what Snake and his merry band were saying loudly around them.

It was funny how months before Ralph and Vanellope would have thought nothing of what was being said, joining in on the celebration and enjoying the free gifts they were given but they couldn't find the same enjoyment they had gotten previously and it wasn't so much that the establishments that they choose to have these shindigs were getting boring.

This time around, the two 'heroes' were finally listening to what Snake had to say.

Ralph couldn't help but wonder why he never saw just how negative and condescending Snake was, going on and on about other characters in the arcade but he never had anything positive to say about them. It was always about how HE and HE alone knew who was rotten, who was good and how he had always been on Ralph's side. Maybe in those previous months when Ralph had similar feelings towards others, he would have agreed but something within him told him this wasn't right, that he had to take the big leap and say something.

But he did not and neither did Vanellope.

The group of baddies were making a massive mess at Tapper's, Ralph watching as the poor Barkeep and his assistance tried with all their might to keep up but they were catching the worst of Snake's friends, the smaller NPCs most of all. Ralph felt awful watching them, remembering that when he and the Bad Anon group had their outings things never got this rowdy so it made no sense to him why Snake was acting as such, only to remember that not too long ago it wasn't as if he had joined in on the same things. He only had to wonder just how long it took for Tapper and his crew to clean up, let alone how the man didn't seem to hold any grudges of even ASK Ralph if he could talk to Snake to tone down the rowdiness.

Vanellope looked at her snacks in front of her; even the food didn't taste as good anymore, the flavor gone as if Snake's words had drained all joy from them as he continued to prattle on about this and that, never letting the two friends get a word in, only allowing them so much as a nod to confirm his actions and thoughts.

Vanellope began to think of the racers, wondering what they were doing at that moment but given how they had acted towards her, the strike included, her thoughts became clouded.

The way that Taffyta had backed her into a corner just using words and wit had rocked her, showing her that maybe the pink racer wasn't just as spineless as a lot of people had told her. It appeared that the young Muttonfudge did know a thing or two about getting Vanellope off the track but she had to wonder.

Where had all of this come from?

Before the arrival of the strange green boy, Taffyta had kept her pouting at a distance, only being able to go so far before Snake or Ralph pulled her away but she had grown so much bolder, a lot more fearless and she was getting results that scared Vanellope. She was breaking through the cracks and ripping the vanilla racer apart from within. This turn with Taffyta terrified Vanellope as she had never seen the girl hold so much power since…since…

 _Since Turbo._

A glitch hit her; could it possibly be true? Even if Turbo had been 'erased' no one had really said anything if his code had survived. They all made guesses, all made up rumors but the way things were turning in the game, it could still be possible. What if, somehow, the blast that Turbo had gone through had actually done something more, made his code stronger and spread it all across the game like a mist, hitting every pixel until Turbo's code had been engrained into everyone on a microscopic level. That could possible mean that Turbo was still within Sugar Rush, hold an even larger grasp than Vanellope, and it could also mean….

Lumi.

He could still be Turbo.

The code that read as organic to the game could still be a trick, still be something Turbo had managed to form as a means of tricking everyone, tricking all of Vanellope's friends, all her citizens, all her things and her property.

That had to be it, there was no other way that Taffyta could have gotten such courage to pull these stunts unless Turbo was the one who was behind it. She had been his favorite racer, his little protégé for years so why didn't it make sense that Lumi would be on her shoulder, whispering sweet ideas of revenge in her ears that she would then spread to the others?

It had to be it; that had to be the reason why everything was falling into place and out of Vanellope's hand. It was as Snake had said, being that everything in Sugar Rush belonged to Vanellope, that there was no way the other racers could have anything as grand or even as large as her! She was the Princess, the ruler! If it were the best, it was hers! If it were the most, it was hers!

The game!

The arcade!

They belonged to Vanellope!

They belonged to….

To….

She lay on the counter, her throat aching.

" _I have everything….."_ she whispered to herself _"….everything….."_

She may have told herself that but as she remembered what the racers had done on their own, how they had humiliated and over powered her, how they were slowly uncovering things with their names and memories….

Just what was this 'everything' that Vanellope possessed REALLY worth?

She could have riches, she could have top scores she could have 'friends' from every game in the arcade….but they were nothing compared to what she saw when the racers found an apparent artifact from their own files. She had never seen them so happy, so joyful or so bright and what hurt the most, what made her glitch in loneliness was the fact that they were happy WITHOUT HER. She had done NOTHING to help them regain the clues, the items and if anything in a lot of cases she had only made things worse but somehow, despite it all the others pulled through. THEY were the ones who defied the odds, who proved the words of the others wrong. And they did it by themselves, no outside help, no glitches, no power.

They had earned their rewards.

Vanellope ALWAYS had to have someone do most of the work for her, all the while receiving all the glory for it.

The racers could take pride in knowing that what they recovered, they had overcome to get.

Vanellope just demanded and she received.

The room began to echo with voices as Vanellope sat the bar, suddenly feeling a lot smaller and weaker than she had ever felt since being plugged in. She face may have been on the side of the game, she may have been the 'leader' but the more she thought, the more she began to realize….

What had she actually done to earn any of it?

~The next morning~

Vanellope had tossed and turned in the night, getting not a lick of slip as she continued to think about the racers and what they were doing, and uncovering, without her. When Ralph had arrived to check on her he did a good enough job going in easy but the conversation once again turned to what had happened to the races prior, on that day when everyone had gone on strike. The vanilla racer, despite her own anger, still hid the truth from her friend out of exhaustion of causing more drama around her but Ralph still wasn't satisfied.

Perhaps it was Calhoun's inner soldier that was rubbing off on him but he knew if both she and Felix were out of the picture for the time being, he would have to pick up the slack and keep an eye on things, the kids being the top priority. The big man kept a diligent eye on the racing game all day from his own home, making certain that nothing odd was going on, that there was no candy out of place. Snake's wrangling had stopped, no more out-of-game cops patrolling the roads and the long lines at the cabinet had returned but Ralph was still busy. When the final clean-up in Fix-it-Felix Jr. was over he bolted from the game, making a bee-line to his friend's home.

"Okay, gotta be prepare for-!"

"HIYA, RALPH!"

" _ **GWAAAAAAAAURGH!"**_

The man yelled as he tripped forward, landing atop Dig-Dug.

"Gah, sorry Taizo!" the big man said, Dig-Dug scowling angrily as Ralph managed to pry him from the ground.

" _Next time ya do that, I'm gunnin' this thing, jackass."_

Ralph turned around, Mouse greeting him with a smile in her normal work clothes this time "Lucky I ran inta ya!"

The big man beamed, happy to see someone he felt he could trust "Mouse! Just the gal I'm lookin' for!"

"Somethin' up, Red?"

"Ta be truthful with ya…." Ralph said, moving closer to the small woman and turning her around, trying and failing to look inconspicuous "Think ya can do another inspection tonight?"

"Uh, actually…" the woman said, speaking up "I was gonna come to watch another roster race."

Ralph blinked, a little surprised to hear the woman was going out to relax, even with the gear she had with her "Ya just wanna watch tha races?"

"Well, yeah!" laughed Mouse "I've been in this place for goin' on a year now but I hardly get a chance ta go out! That race we saw when I came in? That was the first time I actually stepped foot in Sugar Rush!"

Ralph was even more stunned, certain by this time everyone and their grand-pixels had been to Sugar Rush, at least given the way he and various others had gone about it since Turbo's upheaval and Vanellope's return.

"Wait, seriously?"

"Come with me, Red." Mouse said as she led Ralph to the entrance of the game, both of them getting into the trollies "I'm busy most of tha time. Even if I'm not playable, it's still my duty to ensure that once a game is over, everything is reset correctly an' everything is locked down."

"R-Really? So that means….that day I broke in?"

The Wrecker gulped, his face feeling very hot.

"Ya were there, weren't ya?"

"Ah….yeah." Mouse nodded, but her tone was soft and gentle "Don't feel bad about it, Wreck-It. When I got the whole story. I kinda laughed."

"It wasn't a lauhgin' matter!" Ralph continued "I caused an infestation that cudda spread through tha entire arcade had-!"

"Had ya not blown those nasties ta bits." Mouse went on "Cybugs are tough lil buggers but I think the whole thing with Diet Cola Mountain sort of reminded everyone they're characters just like everyone else. Though ta be honest, I thought someone had let an elephant into tha game with all the stompin' ya did."

Ralph moaned in embarrassment, a hand going to his forehead "Still, I'm sorry. If ya got tha whole story, ya know…ya know I wasn't thinkin' straight."

He lit up, looking back at the Cadet.

"But when it got cleared up? Everythin'…everythin' just got better. I was surprised that your Sarge didn't tear my head off then an' there but…then again, she does keep makin'…odd comments here an' there. That's why I gotta keep watchin' her."

"An' I get tha feelin' ya wanna keep things safe as well." Mouse said "Heh, Wrecker an' Protector. It's nice ta see guys who can handle both."

"Well, I thought I could." Ralph said, breathing out "But given that I still need your help, Calhoun's too, is just proof that I messed up with tha protectin' part an' did a whole lot more wreckin'."

The two arrived at the rainbow bridge, Mouse looking down in wonder.

"This place keeps getting' better an' better when I see it!"

"I never expected ya HD types ta be so…well, welcomin' of color." Ralph observed.

"Oh, PLEASE!" Mouse laughed "That show? Sarge has her cousin's pop songs on auto when she's shootin'!"

"Cousin?" the big man asked, arching a brow.

"A space pop DJ who works in the same quadrant as we do, has her own MUSIC channel! Got her own game series though Sarge likes to pretend she doesn't get along with her but you KNOW they do." Snickered the Cadet, Ralph following her "Her stuff is so sugary, she'd fit right in here!"

Ralph didn't know what to say, looking at the woman.

"What? You HONESTLY thought Sarge enjoys that stuff blastin' in our game? She had me rewire her helmet's mic system to drown it out!"

Calhoun being cooked up her dorm may not have been funny but the image of the woman dancing by herself to energetic pop music made the man snort louder than he wanted to

" _La la la la! Space diddy lovin'! La la la!"_

"AHEM! Th-that's inter-SNRK!-restin'!" Ralph went on, still trying to cover up his laughter just as he snorted loudly "B-but can I ask ya a favor?"

"Sure, Red. What is it?"

Meanwhile at the track, the others were prepping for the roster race, Vanellope feeling somewhat better after a day free from Snake and his meddling which surprised her greatly. Even if the others were still not talking to her, she could tell they were happier; they were freer and bubbly and most important of all they were actually having fun on the track. She observed them, keeping a good enough distance as not to arouse any sort of suspicion but close enough to hear their conversation.

"Man, it was really busy, wasn't it guys?" Swizz said first, wiping his brow.

"I'll say!" Minty responded in her usual boisterous way "That last kid who handled me? They know how to do it rough an' tough! Just like I like it! BANG! BOOM! BASH! We were blastin' through those candy crags!"

Her back still turned from the others, pretending to fix her own kart, Vanellope smiled a bit. She had remembered how upset Minty was at her sister's accident so to hear her so happy again was welcomed.

" _Maybe I should get some flowers for Tori…."_ Vanellope whispered to herself, thinking about the missing butter racer _"But would that be a good idea? What if she's allergic to 'em? What would be better? What…what CAN I get her?"_

And then she remembered Snowanna and Citrusella too. They had been injured, though not as several, and missed out on the previous roster and as a result were out of the game though Vanellope could only guess they too were also a bit banged up from their own accidents. She realized that she was going to have to get some more flowers, some more gifts but just like Torvald before she had no idea what the other two actually liked.

She remembered when SHE had come back, the other racers already knew what she wanted.

They knew what she liked.

And in a few cases, they had been SCREAMED at to remember what Vanellope liked.

But Vanellope had no idea what her own game-mates actually liked.

The vanilla racer became lost in her thoughts when out of the corner of her eye she spotted a flash of pink rolling up the lane.

" _Taffyta!"_

Vanellope gasped to herself and glitched, ducking down before the other girl saw her. How odd; Taffyta hadn't joined in the talk of the others. Neither she nor Vanellope had clutched the first place trophy when the arcade closed but she didn't think that would stop her from chatting but for whatever reason Taffyta looked more as if she were in deep thought than upset.

"Hey, Taff!"

Vanellope ducked again, accidentally hitting her forehead on the steering wheel.

" _Ouchies!"_

"Taffyta!" called Nougetsia, waving a hand, the pink girl snapping to suddenly.

"Oh! Uh, yeah Nougie?"

She couldn't hear the conversation but whatever the two were talking about, Vanellope wanted in. She had grown antsy over how secretive the other racers had become around her but it wasn't as if she had actively engaged them nor done the same with her own 'friends'. She had started to miss hanging out with people her age, people her speed, people she had once thought she could learn new things from.

But as it was turning out, the rift between the kids had only grown deeper and perhaps the person Vanellope was seeking for the reason towards that wasn't as far as she wanted to admit. Taffyta joined the others, their conversation much too hard to hear as the pit crews began to clean up around them. Vanellope scowled, glitching closer and closer but still the words were muffled from her. Only when she was but two feet away, hidden ironically by a pile of candy scrap, could she hear the final notes of the conversation.

"So tonight then?" Vanellope heard the older Popsicle sister say, nodding "Yeah, we'll be there."

Minty looked around cautiously, patting her right knuckle in her fist "Not so loud, Nougie. Want everyone in tha arcade ta hear?"

Vanellope felt a tingle going down her spin, knowing she would be in for a world of hurt should Minty discover she was around and listening in.

"Minty, calm down." Taffyta said in her usual fashion, rolling her eyes "I don't think your sis would wanna see you all riled up like this when ya visit her."

"Can't help it." The big green racer said, looking as if she were ready for a fight "I'm in full protect mode right now, guys."

"If that's tha case, why didn't ya protect your blind spot on tha track?" Gloyd smirk, flashing the first place trophy around….

Right before being hit in the face on either side by both Crumbellina and Adorabeezle.

"We wanna end this day on a GOOD note, thank ya very much." Snowanna grimaced, her eyebrow twitching in annoyance.

"Hold it together guys, we just one more race and we can call it a day." The strawberry racer said, adjusting her gloves "An' don't even think I don't know how ya guys feel. We're all on edge an' I can't remember how many times I got picked today, it was such a blur."

"U-Uh, it was twenty!"

Everyone turned, Vanellope rising from her kart, the red knot still visible on her head.

Silence.

Whoops.

The girl nervously smiled, the looks of the others making her feel horrifically out of place.

"Um, it was twenty…." Vanellope said again, forcing a laugh "A-A-Ah good run, Taff! We tied!"

Vanellope looked towards the girl in pink, the hardened look on her face telling. She knew she had messed up and once again she found herself slipping at the mercy of the strawberry racer, a stark contrast to how things had been going months before.

"Is that some kinda joke?" Taffyta muttered, not at all hiding it that she didn't want to see Vanellope "Ya tryin' to say something with that, Von Schweetz?"

The vanilla racer had to take a step back, wondering if the others hadn't seen her shocked face; Wow! Taffyta was REALLY harsh on her today and it was such a turn after the calmness she had shown with the others. Still, she could not back down and she quickly regained her composure and smiled though she could feel the nervous twitch on the side of her mouth and the blush forming on her cheeks.

"Eeeey, don't look at it like that! Think of it like…like a half n' half scoop of your favorite ice cream!" Vanellope responded "I'm tryin' ta give ya props for winnin' today. Dun push me away!"

Taffyta didn't meet the response with joy, Vanellope seeing her roll her eyes "M'just doing what's expected of me."

" _What's expected of me?"_

Vanellope frowned, putting her hands to her side as she looked at the girl "C'mon, don't tell me you're this sore! Tha kids loved pickin' ya today! I still got 'em wonderin' if I'm gonna call tha police on 'em or somethin'!"

"I'm not sore." Taffyta sighed "Just…."

"Just what?" Vanellope asked again, inching closer.

Maybe if she could only get some words out-!

Taffyta frowned deeper as Vanellope got closer, turning quick as she gave her a glare. The pull of those blue eyes were making Vanellope nervous and she relented, if only a bit.

"Look, it doesn't matter anyway." Taffyta said with a scoff "We know you have more important things to deal with. Why bother with us?"

"Um, because you're my game-mates?"

Everyone looked up, Vanellope's answer unexpected given the atmosphere shared between them all. The vanilla racer sighed, finally finding the courage to look at them and smile.

"Guys, we've had a….rough week. All of us."

From the side Vanellope could see Minty scowling, the big girl cracking her knuckles. The very sound made Vanellope sweat in fear but she had to keep on her feet!

"Look, how about this?" the girl went on, dropping the formalities "When tha roster is over? We all go out for Burger Time. When's tha last time we all went out together for a nice burger? Ya know, as a TEAM?"

Since Vanellope got back?

Never.

Not even once.

She thought back, remembering she had been out with Ralph and SNAKE many-a times to Burger Time, always getting the star treatment but had she gone with the others? Had she even asked them?

Nope.

But there was always a first time for everything.

"Burger Time?"

Taffyta had bitten the lure.

The pink racer looked surprised at first, Vanellope filling with hope that maybe a 'Yes' would be said, maybe something!

"No, Booger Time! Of course I meant Burger Time!" Vanellope said "An' don't worry 'bout payin'! Tha tab will be on me!"

This was something Vanellope had hoped would entice the girl but she saw her eyes dart around, her tanned cheeks reddening.

"Taffyta."

"Sorry, Prez." The girl said, Vanellope taking note of the tone she used "But I'm gonna be kinda busy tonight."

"Busy?!" The girl said, looking disappointed "Aw, there's gotta be room on your schedule somewhere for me!"

"Vanellope, I can't make it. We have plans."

"We?"

Taffyta looked up, realizing her slip. Vanellope gave her a look, leaning on the side of the girl's kart.

"Taffyta. Really?"

Now the girl looked irked, her brows furrowing as she turned away from Vanellope "Yeah, Vanellope. Believe it or not, the rest of us DO have lives. I mean, they're not as GLAMOROUS as yours but it's our lives and we wanna live 'em."

"I didn't mean it like that, Taff."

"C'mon, we gotta get ready for the roster race." Taffyta said, ignoring the girl "Wouldn't wanna make ya late for anything else. You're busier than we are."

"Taff-!"

By now the girl had put her kart into position, Vanellope left to wonder and curse to herself that she had one against lost her grip on Taffyta. There was no hiding it though; she was acting weird and it was only going to be a matter of time before Vanellope was going to find out why!

"Heeeeeeeeeey!"

Vanellope looked over, seeing Ralph and Mouse finally arriving as the big man waved down at her from the stands.

"Things are looking better!" the big man called down, Vanellope giving him a small but loving smile.

"Y-yeah! Much better…"

Ralph turned his focus on Mouse, the girl already pulling a tablet out.

"An' your thoughts, O'Queen of tha Bugs?"

"Not gettin' any readin's right now." The woman said "But once things are over, I'll do a thorough check-through like ya wanted an-! Oh, cotton candy!"

Ralph looked over, Mouse now distracted as a vendor passed by.

"HEY! HEY! GUY!" she shouted, waving her wallet above her head "I'LL TAKE THE WHOLE TRAY!"

Ralph smiled once more; these were the parts he loved about having others come into Sugar Rush him, that feeling of excitement and sharing the fun and colors. It was a great thing, but he then realized he hadn't shared it with everyone he was 'close' to. He thought to himself, realizing that there were still a few friends he had known that had not come to Sugar Rush or hadn't been back in sometime. When things all began, it was just so much fun, so much excitement, and then-

And then-?

Something happened.

Something had caused everyone to stop, everyone to disappear and the more Ralph thought about it…

Perhaps it wasn't because of an EVENT but perhaps a PERSON.

The sound of the starting horn blared, snapping Ralph out of his stupor.

 **AND THEY'RE OFF!**

Another race for the books!

Lumi had once again retreated to his spot, far from the view of the cameras and hopefully out of the view of any of Snake's goons. The thoughts of what Vanellope had gone through in her years of being 'the glitch' came to his mind, remembering what the other racers had told him.

"So I guess it's my turn then…." He said to himself, only to shake his head a second later, frowning.

No. It didn't matter what Vanellope had gone through. No one was going to 'deal with what she had to' after everything she had put them through! The very thought of Vanellope being free to glitch her way through the game only made the boy angrier, the hatred in his heart for the girl feeling like it was reaching a boiling point but he stopped. Despite his dislike for the girl, even with how much she annoyed him something still didn't feel right.

"Why am I so angry?" he asked himself, putting a hand to his heart slowly "I….this….this isn't like me."

 _Lumi, ya can't let hate blind ya._

The boy felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end, a familiar masculine voice echoing in his ears.

His dad?

 _Hate can be used against ya in so many ways._

 _But, pop! Ya know what she said about us! Ya know what she did to Roli!_

 _Yes, I am aware of that. But that still does not give us any right to cast such hatred on her or her family!_

 _They don't care! They wouldn't care if any of us got hurt or di-!_

 _Lumi, that is enough!_

Lumi nearly tumbled over as if he were there with the figure himself but he looked around, seeing nothing but sugar weeds and brush around.

Why did it feel so real?

He moaned, pushing his hands to the sides of his head and breathed out in pain. It wasn't as if these voices were a part of his imagination, as if he were bringing them up to remind himself to stay focus. They were so loud, so intrusive, his vision warping and glitching whenever they came about.

"N-No!" he shouted, taking in deep breaths "N-no! Stop!"

But isn't this what he wanted? To know what he existed, that his parents existed, that his FAMILY existed?

That had been his goal throughout the entire ordeal, to prove to everyone how much he deserved to be on the track as much as the other racers. This was what he had been looking for when the others had retrieved their items but-

 **GLITCH**!

He cried out again, hitting the ground. He looked up, the distance of the game starting to crackle and split. What was happening? What were these memories that were coming up? The track didn't look right, the roads were all wrong and as Vanellope made the pass, glitching ahead of Taffyta-

 **GLITCH**!

" _ **AUUURGH!"**_

The boy fell down, body aching as his code twisted.

Something wasn't right, something wasn't reading correctly.

He stood up weakly, breathing hard as he finally managed to push the pain away. He watched the race continue, Vanellope glitching her away again as the others used their trained skills to maneuver around her. Again the hatred rose, the boy growling as he watched the girl going by.

"All she does is drive in a straight line and spam…." He hissed to himself "Take that away? She's as useless as-!"

Lumi stopped again, refraining them saying something he would regret; it was almost as if he were scared someone else were to hear him.

Someone close.

Someone like this…father?

The boy could not watch the races as there was no fun in it anymore. Maybe when he first arrived, cheering the others when they beat Vanellope? That was fun, that was the best part. But now?

Now the drain had returned, the boy wondering if the progress he and the others had made was even worth it.

"They still don't believe me…." He whimpered to himself "They never will…."

He wanted to go home but as he knew, there was no real home for him to go to.

Back at the main track Ralph and Mouse watched the races continue, Mouse looking as if she were having the time of her life in the stands.

"Aw MAN, this is awesome!" she cheered.

"Ya know…." Ralph smiled, finding it hard not to do so as he watched the Hero's Duty Op bouncing up and down "I am never gonna get used to seein' guys like you this…HYPER."

 **VANELLOPE WINS!**

"DOOOOH, SO CLOSE!" Mouse shouted "I was placin' it on that Berry-Twin. The red one!"

"Jubileena."

The woman looked over, Ralph sitting down and looking about with a thoughtful look about him. One would have thought he would have made a big deal about Vanellope taking first place once again but instead he sat in the stands, looking calm, looking at peaceful and if not a tad reflective.

"Jubileena-Bing Bing." The man went on "She an' that Citrusella? Her twin? If ya watch 'em durin' a normal race, ya can see 'em workin' together to round out a win. They call it Double-Trouble but they do butt it head-to-head when there's a prize to be won."

"Uh, Red?"

"Hmmm?" the big man looked up, Mouse snickering slightly "Oh, sorry 'bout that."

"From the looks'a things, maybe I don't need to dig deep to find info out on this place. I think I have a walkin' game-guide right here."

"Sorry, Mousey." The big man said as he stood up, both he and the Cadet walking out to join the others at the winner's circle "My brain's been filled with so much sugar lately, I can't help it!"

Ralph COULDN'T help it. Maybe it did have something to do with Taffyta's 'little' kick that he had taken to the face or perhaps it was just the words his fellow Anons had told him but something within him had changed. Months ago, he knew he would have done nothing but spoken sour notes on every racer in the game with the exception of Vanellope as he had to anyone new to Sugar Rush but now he wanted to share what he DID know about the other racers and as he went back to his own memories, he found himself becoming fascinated with what little information he knew.

It was as if the big man was only just realizing how MASSIVE Sugar Rush as a whole was, how each and every racer in the game had their own move-set, their own style, their own-

Story?

A warm rush hit Ralph in his chest and spread to every tip of his code but he knew what he was doing, he was aware of what this had entailed and a part of him did feel guilty as in a small way, he was lying both to himself and Mouse. His prior thoughts on the racers were not sweet but given the impression she now saw, Mouse saw Ralph as one of the best outside experts on the race, knowledgeable with all the info on the racers and a keen connection with them as well.

Connection?

Maybe not in the past but perhaps if he could still get things to work.

Perhaps he still had time.

Perhaps they could still accept-

"So far, things are checking out." Mouse said as she read the reading on her tablet "Not an off-the-scale blip to be seen, from this side of the game or the next."

"Calm before tha storm, they always say." Ralph said, both he and the Cadet making it up to the winner's circle "An' I wanna thank ya."

"For what?"

"Just takin' the time to do this, Ma'am." Ralph said "I know ya guys probably have way more important things ta do but-!"

"This? HA!" Mouse laughed powerfully "I LOVE things like this! Gives me a great chance ta explore the arcade an' meet new people! I mean, what good is it ta be cooped up in your game for so long?"

Ralph knew someone who had already had that experience for far too long.

And maybe it was his worry over that that had blinded him to other things that were happening around him.

"I told you she would win!" called a familiar voice from the podium, Ralph feeling his stomach turn just a bit.

" _Prepare yourself, Red."_ The big man mumbled to himself, Mouse accompanying him.

"Somethin' wrong, Wreck-It?"

Snake had beaten the two other adults to the winner circle, clutching onto Vanellope much like a trophy in his arms.

"Asss it should be!" the scaly reptile called out, Vanellope not even having a chance to get a word in herself "Firssst place assss alwayssss!"

Ralph stopped himself from going any further, only watching what Snake was doing in the midst of the candy crowd and already he was going into 'Protective Papa' mode. The way Snake held onto Vanellope, the way he took her trophy away from her as if it were his. His eyes twitched, his brows furrowed and his throat became hot the angrier he became.

"Tha heck does he think-?!"

The slim Cadet took notice, watching the shift to anger on Ralph's face "Um, Red? I don't need ta brace myself, do I?"

The way that Snake was handling Vanellope, the way that he was taken credit for everything, the way that he was just showing off in front of all….it reminded him of someone.

" _Turbo-Tastic!"_

Snake continued to prattle on, his friends having pushed the other racers away from the track long ago but Vanellope was still in his grasp. She felt so uncomfortable, so disgusting being wrapped in his scales that after a few moments of struggling-

 **GLITCH**!

"Okay, that's enough!"

Snake looked down as if nothing had been exchanged, his eyes warm "But Presssssident, what issss the matter?"

Vanellope pushed her way through the crowd, looking for the others "Darn, it how did they get away that fast?"

"Hey, kid!"

The girl turned around, Ralph and Mouse coming into view and in a second relief came upon the racer "Oh, thank ya! You're here!"

"Somethin' tha matter?" Ralph asked, Vanellope quickly rushing up to him.

"I wanted ta find tha guys!" the girl went on looking this way and that "I-!"

She stopped, feeling a bit wary of even telling the truth as she knew what was in store for her should she say the wrong thing, given the company surrounding her. She fought through it however, knowing that if she wanted things to change SHE would have to do something as well.

"Somethin' wrong, Nelly?" Ralph asked gently, stooping down to her.

"No, I'm PERFECT." The girl said, her voice sounding brave "I was gonna invite tha guys ta Burger Time with me but they-!"

Vanellope was certain she had rolled her eyes to herself without even thinking, already knowing who was responsible for their sudden disappearance.

"We got separated." Vanellope fished, rushing to the end of the out-of-gamer crowd "They can't be that far! I still wanna-!"

"Oh pleasssse, Pressssident."

Snake.

What was he going to say this time?

"Snake, I get it." Vanellope sighed, putting a hand to her aching forehead "I know ya an' tha guys CLASH. A LOT. But I'm thinkin' we gotta work things out."

Vanellope was really starting to take a small stand against Snake, something that Ralph welcomed as he stepped forward, Mouse watching on as if she were in the middle of some soap opera.

" _Aw cripes."_

"There's been way-way-way-WAAAAAAY too much sourness here, Snakey." Vanellope went on "An' tha other day? Candlehead did me a big one for racin' alone."

"It isssssn't asssss if there wassssssn't a reassssson for that." Snake cooed, Vanellope suddenly realizing that she had placed herself into a trap as Snake was BOUND to reveal what had happened now that Ralph was around. She knew she had to be faster than him because she didn't want anything else to happen, anything else to fall out of her hands.

"Yeah…." Vanellope said, keeping her wits about her "Everyone was so BUSY. I didn't wanna POLICE 'em while they were doin' their work."

The 'Police' that Snake had sent after the other racers.

Snake remembered how badly it had gone with him on that, feeling that Vanellope had him by the tail as quickly as he could throw the strike against the racers, SHE on the other hand could do the same thing with the other ill-fated stunt and once again use Ralph as a trump card to her deck. Suffice to say, Ralph had no idea that this time HE was the final weapon in the argument but Snake wasn't about to have the evening taken away from him. He knew that Vanellope was trying to reach out to the other racers and if there was one thing he DIDN'T want to do-

"Pressssident, you have made it clear that there are ssssso many thingssssss on your mind right now." The reptile boss went on, Ralph scowling at his greasy voice "I jusssst feel that at the moment, you need to take ssssssome time away from the resssst of thosssse PLACE-!"

He stopped, remembering that Ralph and Mouse were behind him. As much as he loved throwing around the world 'place holder' he wisely knew that using it so much wouldn't put him in any favors, given how he had taken a few smaller blows earlier on. Snake cleared his throat but remained steady on his coils.

"I jussst think that the ressst of the racersssss need their sssspace assss well."

" _Really?_ " Ralph mumbled to himself under his breath as he crossed his arms against his chest; he could smell the lie a mile away even with his own personal 'musk' surrounding him.

"Maybe another day…." Snake said as sweetly as he could "There will be OTHER timesssss when you and thosssse othersssss can hang out."

"I've said that goin' on a year, Snake." Vanellope said dryly "An' things have only gotten worse."

"Then maybe it wasssss not meant to be." The reptile went on, pretending to be moral at the moment "It jusssst painssss me to think about it really."

While Snake's cronies had taken for the act, Mouse could see that both wrecker and racer were less than impressed, Ralph just holding back some choice words while Vanellope appeared embarrassed, as if Snake's words were dragging her down as well.

"Perhapsssss I wasssss too harsh on thossssse children…." Snake continued, sounding more dramatic than ever "Perhapssss it isssss my fault that I came upon them too hard but I wasssss only trying to protect you! Their previoussss behavior had just triggered ssssso many memoriesssss of how I, and Ralph and other bad guysssss were treated in the passsst! It wassss just nature! It wasssss just a reaction! You cannot fault me on that!"

So it was just a reaction when Snake choked Lumi?

So it was just a reaction when Snake assaulted Minsk?

So it was just a reaction when Snake attacked Candlehead?

They were all just reactions?

Ralph wasn't buying it, knowing that even with the treatment he had gotten over the years none of it had led to the types of violent reactions that Snake had shown off.

"We all get tha sentiment, Snake." The big man final spoke up, everyone hearing the gruffness in his voice "But if ya could do me a big favor, don't try ta imply that I wanted ta beat these kids up. Or that ANY OTHER bad guy wanted to, _**'KAY?**_ "

The smile on Ralph's face only added to the fear that Snake felt at the moment; this wasn't expected. He had expected Ralph to fall back in line once he mentioned the treatment both he and Vanellope had received but in this case it felt as if the OPPOSITE reaction had occurred. Suddenly, Snake's coils felt looser than he would have liked but he still was not going to back down.

"Understood, Ralph." Snake nodded "But it isssss late. Thossssse children are probably all tuckered out ssssso let them resssst."

" _In this game? Hardly."_ Ralph thought to himself before looking back at Vanellope "Ya tired?"

"No…." moaned the girl "But…"

"What is it?"

Vanellope didn't know what to say but she had to think of something to get Snake away from her. It was just a scary thought that how months ago she was always ready and excited to go with him, even though at times he seemed to push his way into events without her planning. Now things were far more different, the girl feeling she needed to ESCAPE him…and once she saw Mouse, she knew how.

"We need ta run another test!"

"Test?" the Cadet blinked down "Ya feel somethin's wrong?"

"Yeah!" Vanellope piped up, her eyes making quick darts towards Snake to observe his reactions "Like ya say, ya can never be too careful an'-! UH! Ya know your work!"

"Oh….wow." Mouse said, sounding flattered by Vanellope's words, her smiling adding to Snake's disgust.

Was Vanellope letting this new one into their 'circle'?

Not on his watch.

"I don't wanna feel bad for bringin' ya back all tha time ta work on this old game." Vanellope said in a bashful tone "But I really do trust ya, Mouse."

Mouse was simply BEAMING at this point, Vanellope's words so sweet "Aw, thanks kid! I was just doin' my job an' I'll be more than happy ta make sure that things run smoothly!"

"Good." Vanellope said, watching Snake again "An' if ya need any more equipment? Just ask me! I'll supply ya with everythin' ya need!"

The girl turned around, looking the reptile right in the eyes.

"Wanna join us, Snakey?"

Finally the girl had managed to get on top, Snake utterly unnerved by how welcoming Vanellope was towards Mouse and how close she was letting her of all people near the game's code. Mouse may not have fully observed it herself but Snake wasn't willing to share the space with her, especially after seeing just how positive and respective she was towards the OTHER racers.

If she had their trust, what was the point?

"No, it isssss fine." Snake hissed acidly through his teeth, forcing a smile "You go ahead and fix whatever BUGSSSS you find the the sssssyssstem."

"Will do!" Mouse saluted, unaware that Snake was trying to insult her "An' if ya need me ta clean up anythin' in YOUR game-!"

"That won't be an isssssue." Snake said, he and his groupies turning away as they began to vacate the track "I'm ssssure you'll do jusssst enough with Vanellope. Don't get too excited."

"Sorry, can't help it." The woman smiled, Vanellope fearful that she wasn't aware of how badly Snake viewed her "See ya."

Snake turned, eyes narrowed as he was surrounded by the others.

" _Thosssse sssssoliderssss are assss invassssive asssss thossssse ssssstupid bugssss they hunt."_

* * *

"Okay, is everyone here?"

The tree-house was once again packed with the racers, Lumi and Candlehead arriving last as they sat near the back, the cake-themed girl still looking so nervous and scared.

"You okay, Candlehead?" Lumi whispered over to the girl, noticing her hands shake.

She remained silent but managed to do a feeble nod, Lumi only growing all the more concerned. He had hoped that Candlehead would snap out of her funk after the race day but it looked as if she had climbed back even further into her shell, the boy left to wonder what had exactly happened. He HAD noticed some of the cuts, the bruises on her body and that he had not remembered before the girl had left the hospital…

What had happened?

"From the race?"

Candlehead looked over at Lumi, the boy still shocked to how drained and colorless she looked but she quickly turned away from him.

"N-No, no! I mean, YES! I got these from tha race!"

"When?" the boy asked again, picking up her hand "If ya got this hurt why didn't ya tell anyone?"

"We always get hurt!" Candlehead blurted out "It doesn't matter!"

"But these are-!"

The girl pulled her hand away from the boy, shivering horrible "It's okay! It's okay! It's my fault I got them! All my fault!"

Lumi felt helpless as he watched Candlehead shiver and tear up next to him. He knew the marks couldn't have come from the races, no matter HOW rough and tumble they got but as it were Candlehead was not going to respond and he had a sinking feeling why.

She was still scared.

And as long as she was scared, she was never going to tell the truth.

"Taffyta, it feels like things have come to a standstill!" said Nougetsia towards the leader of the group "I don't wanna sound like I'm rushing things but what are we supposed to do now? We stopped looking for things ages ago!"

"I know that…." Taffyta said, her voice lowered "But ya know part of the reason why. Vanellope was gettin' too close to things. And don't forget about that new Hero's Duty lady that came in."

"Ya think she could be onto us?" asked Gloyd, Swizzle shaking his head.

"I dunno guys." The boy said, the others turning towards him.

"Watcha thinkin', Brain-Box?" asked Minty.

"Ya guys remember how Calhoun was tryin' ta help? I mean, at least compared to everyone who said the same…" the boy went on "Maybe this lady is just pickin' up the job. Plus she's a bit more…warm? Seriously, I've never seen a HD character as zip! WOW! ZOWIE as her! They musta jack up her coffee when they wake up!"

"Ya gotta lot more trust in her than I do." Minty grumped as she crossed her arms against her chest, not seeing Sticky slowly lowering her head beside her "They may play nice but at tha end of tha day, ya know they have Vanellope on tha top of their priority list. Tha moment somethin' looks funny an' it leads back ta us? BAM! We're branded again!"

"I…I don't think Calhoun felt that way against us."

The kids looked over towards Sticky, the marshmallow girl gulping a tad as she placed a hand over her ear.

The one with the hearing aid.

"Ya 'member when Snake's buddies attacked us?" Sticky asked the eldest triplet "When they knocked out my hearin' aid?"

"Yeah, so what of it?" Minty grumped.

"Calhoun came an' helped me…." Sticky said, her voice slowly growing in confidence much to her sister's surprise "She-! She was hidin-! An' yeah! I know that's really, super weird once I think 'bout it an' she did get stuck in those gum-bushes an' I kinda saw her underwear because her pants got stuck an' she fell on her face…an' for some reason it had RAINBOW UNICORN prints on it an'-!"

"Urgh, get on with it Stix!"

"But she helped me!" the girl said towards her sister "Ya may say she's mean but she HELPED ME!"

For once Minty found herself unable to speak back, wanting to know exactly what she had missed when she had led the others away.

"Miss-! SARGENT Calhoun almost busted one of those guy's heads open when she saw what they did!" Sticky went on, excitement in her voice.

"Why didn't ya tell us this?" asked Swizz, moving closer.

"I guess I was just so scared…" the girl sighed "I mean, this was right after Snake's friends attacked us an' I was sure she was gonna join in on 'em."

Sticky's eyes lit up again, remembering how careful Calhoun had acted with her over her hearing aid.

"I thought it was weird." She went on "Member how Mr. Felix seemed ta be tha only one who wanted to help us?"

"Felix helps EVERYONE." Gloyd said "How is that surprisin'?"

"But-! But I never thought his wifey-wife would help us! She laughed at us when Vanellope said she was going ta cut off our heads!"

"Do ya NEED to remind us of that?" Taffyta rolled her eyes.

"But-! But I don't think she really wanted to!" Sticky went on "Think 'bout it. Why would she help me after all of that? Why would she get my hearnin' aid an' fight off those guys if….if she thought….if she thought I was bad?"

"Programmin'?" Taffyta snorted "Or maybe she didn't wanna get caught? She cudda been just leading ya on!"

"She wasn't, Taffyta." Sticky went on "She was bein' real! She was tryin' ta be nice!"

The girl slowed, looking down at her hands.

"Ya think….ya think that might be tha reason she got in trouble?"

Everyone went silent, Sticky holding their attention.

"I'm really startin' ta think more an' more that's what happened!" the girl went on "It started right there an' then-!"

"Snake catches wind an' doesn't like it." Swizz said "Aw man, if that's tha case than tha other lady is in trouble too!"

"Ooooh, don't tell me you're gonna go all protective on her, NERD." Minty scoffed.

"It's not just that!" Swizz said "Think about it for a second guys!"

Taffyta sat down, looking rather unimpressed as she watched the others go on.

"This is kinda dangerous. If we're right about Snake framin' tha Sarge it could only be tha start! He may have done that just BECAUSE she was startin' ta be nice ta us an' she was pushin' back against HIM! If anyone else were ta show that towards us-!"

Rancis instantly hit on the implications, the curl on his head tightening "Holy Ho-Hos! Anyone that comes in here could be in danger!"

"BINGO!" Swizz continued "Man, oh MAN! This is bad!"

"Wait a sec. You're tellin' me that Snake seriously feels like he has tha Mounds ta try ta BULLY anyone he doesn't like comin' in here?!" Gloyd spoke up "That's all kindsa messed up!"

"An' it's somethin' WE gotta fix!" Minty said, feeling all the more closer to a fight "It's bad enough he's been houndin' us but he thinks he can be tha bouncer ta tha game-?!"

"Because Vanellope LET him."

Everyone stopped, turning back towards Taffyta, darkness in her eyes.

"Why are ya guys acting so surprised at this? Of COURSE Snake found some way to frame the Sarge AFTER she starts to open up towards us. Of COURSE Snake would do the same to that other…uh…skinny Hero's Duty lady if she gets any closer. He does this….BECAUSE VANELLOPE ALLOWS HIM TO!"

The strawberry racer's voice echoed across the room, some of the racers ducking in fear as she stood up.

"This has moved up a level." She went on "We started out on all'a this to prove to everyone this is our home an' we still will! But now? Now we're on hard mode."

Taffyta tucked her arms behind her back, marching down the floor.

"We're prisoners in our own game. All led by a useless, pampered leader an' her army of goons. We already spent a year of our lives cowtailin' to 'em but it stops now!"

It was if some sort of energy from deep within the codes had ignited Taffyta once more, the racer no longer holding anything back.

"We're still gonna recover everything. We're gonna find our stuff, find our stories, find our families….but we're also gonna take down Von Schweetz as well."

"Wait, WHAT?!" Rancis said "How did we jump that far?!"

"Don't even try to pretend ya weren't on board with this, Rancis. Everyone single one of ya wanted this from day one!"

"I know I did." Minty said "An' after that stunt with Vanellope's 'police squad' an' Tori?"

"There ya go. They're getting more an' more violent an' we can't let 'em stop us anymore!"

Candlehead, still in the corner with Lumi, shivered. She knew she had to hold herself back, keep the truth away from Taffyta as if she had only known it would have only made things WORSE.

"This has moved waaaay beyond Sugar Rush. Snake an' his cronies are gettin' so bold they think they can attack other games, JUST FOR VANELLOPE. They think they can kick other characters outta games, JUST FOR VANELLOPE. They won't stop until everyone in this arcade is hurt, scared…..maybe even DELETED. JUST. FOR. VANELLOPE."

Half of the crowd were sharing Taffyta's sentiments but the rest of the racers weren't, Lumi observing their actions.

"How do ya expect us ta handle this?" Gloyd asked Taffyta.

"We still have home-game advantage." Taffyta said "An' as far as we've seen, Snake is so plastered to Vanellope an' Ralph's butt that he won't venture far on his own without some stooges. He knows he has a disadvantage without her."

"An' if we manage ta get together, we can take him out!" Minty laughed powerfully.

"Wait, ya wanna fight him?!" Sticky said in astonishment.

"After what he did ta Tori, he's lucky I didn't scale his stupid non-butt right then an' there. He deserves every bit of pain that could come at him!"

"Guys, wait!" Rancis stepped in, taking the opposite position "This-! This was supposed to be about finding out stories, our homes! I was on board with that but now-?!"

He stalled, feeling surrounded but he knew he had to speak up.

"Taffyta, what do you really wanna do with this?"

"What do ya mean?"

"Is this about saving the game?" the boy asked, arching a brow "Or is this just about getting revenge on Vanellope?"

Taffyta sneered, turning her head away from the boy.

"Taffyta…..don't do this." The boy went on "It was one thing a few weeks ago but….but now I'm not so sure."

"That's funny comin' from you, FLUB-Butters." The girl said "Ya were SOOOO excited early on."

"That was when we were making this about the WHOLE game, not turning this into an Anti-Vanellope Simulator!"

"If she didn't want that…." The girl yawned "She shudda stopped all that guff she an' her friends brought ta us earlier. She has no one ta blame for this but herself."

"You can't be serious, Taffyta. I know you don't want this." Rancis continued.

"What I WANTED was to start over again. To have fun racing as we were all meant to do. But that went right out the window when Vanellope made everything about HER!"

Rancis stepped back in fear, seeing the anger in Taffyta's eyes once more.

"So stop actin' as if I'm instigating things with Von Cheatz! She's instigated us even when she was back as a GLITCH, thinkin' her act was so cute when it was like rubbing sandpaper to your face! She just never got it we never wanted her around and that was even before we noticed the glitch! She's ALWAYS been a massive pain who tries to butt into things and what does she always do?! WRECK STUFF AN' THEN LEAVE IT TO SOMEONE ELSE TO CLEAN UP!"

Those on Taffyta's side loudly agreed, making Rancis feel even worse.

"But…but you didn't think like that when she got back."

Everyone looked at the peanut butter boy, nervousness shaking him.

"Even I can admit that Vanellope was very grating….but I think she understood that. She stopped it, she backed off….and for a while you and her? You guys were friends again."

"As if."

"I'm SERIOUS, TAFFYTA!" Rancis shouted in anger "Stop acting as if it never happened!"

Lumi kept his ears open, wanting to know more.

"Don't act like those moments never happened between us! Those moments where you and Vanellope actually did have fun!"

"If they meant anything to her…." Taffyta scoffed "Why'd she toss us away for the new SNAKE-SKINNED model?"

That right there put Rancis in his tracks, the boy remembering that things had very much changed greatly when Snake-Oil had arrived and it was something that he knew he could not deny. Taffyta had gotten him on this one as even he could recall those earlier accounts when Snake and his crew began to harass and bully the other racers and Vanellope had done absolutely NOTHING to stop him. He felt like his knees were sinking downwards, not wanting to believe Taffyta's angered words but no matter what he tried to tell himself, it was ringing so painfully true.

Even he remembered the first, painful moment of abandonment from Vanellope. He had been attacked by some of Snake's buddies, the bad guys he often saw around Ralph as well. They had pushed him, thrown him about and even with the evidence to prove of their wrong doings-

"That's just what they're used to. No biggie!"

No biggie?

And from there it kept getting worse, Snake watching on in glee as the other racers were being hurt in so many ways but Ralph and Vanellope were shielded from what happened. They tried to tell others, they tried to warn others but Snake had done a good enough job to make their reputation worse and what little help they did have from Felix was always met with disdain from Ralph, as if the Wrecker wanted to and ENJOYED watching the kids hurt. It hurt Rancis to his very core, right to the point where he believed that he deserved to be hurt after what had happened but there was something. There had always been something in the back of his head that told him it was wrong, that someone should do something, that it wasn't as much of Vanellope's fault as Taffyta had implied.

But that first rejection.

When he needed her.

After everything she had said about how she was going to make the game better and how she was going to keep the game safe.

She had blown him off and blown off the others right when her leadership was needed.

But he still didn't want to believe it; he didn't want to believe that Vanellope could be as bad as Taffyta said.

But with every little instance….

"I just want things to be fun again." Rancis said "I never wanted any of this."

"Do ya think any of us feel any different?" Taffyta spat back "We want things back to normal too but VANELLOPE-!"

"She's not the problem in this!"

"Stop tryin' ta deny it, Rancis! SHE IS!"

"NO, SHE ISN'T!"

"SHE LET YOU GET HURT!"

"I-! She-!"

Keep focus, Rancis. Keep focus!

"I…yes. Yes she did." The boy finally confessed "And I felt hurt when she turned me away. It felt like she lost track of what we were all going to do together."

Taffyta's eyes narrowed, hearing Rancis drop his armor at that second.

"But it's not as if you've lost track as well." The boy growled, finding the courage to look Taffyta back.

"What have I lost track of?!"

"The original goal!" Rancis shouted " _ **YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT FINDING OUR FAMILIES! YOU CARE ABOUT HUMILATING VANELLOPE!"**_

Silence.

Had Rancis really said that?

The boy panted, still a little scared but in his own head he knew he had to keep pushing. As Taffyta had said before there were a lot of changes that were going to happen in the game…

And Rancis had plans of his own, one of them being that he wasn't going to allow himself to be pushed down like this anymore.

Not by Snake.

Not by Vanellope.

Not by….

"When we started this, you were so excited to set things back for us." Rancis went on, his head down but his heart knowing he could not hide the truth any longer "I had never seen you so excited and happy, just to see tiny bits of our homes return. It was the brightest I had ever seen you, luv. And….and I was excited….because when all the things Lumi told us started to come true…"

Lumi's cheeks turned red, feeling as if he were sinking into the floor.

"It felt wonderful. Knowing that maybe, just maybe, there was a part of us buried in this game. That not everything here had Vanellope's face but rather…it had ALL of our faces on it."

"A-an' so?" Taffyta fumbled, hit by Rancis' tone used on her "S-so what?! I still feel that way! I still want to get your stuff back!"

Rancis shook his head sadly "No, no you don't. It just feels like you only care about all of this to get revenge on Vanellope! To hurt her!"

"SHE HURT US!"

"And so that makes it right to do it again?! Nothing is going to get cleaned up if this is all we do!"

The entire tree-house went still, some of the lights flickering as Rancis' voice echoed across the tight room. He huddled, almost as if he expected Taffyta to lash out on him at any second. His mouth was going dry, his hands shaking but to his surprise….

The girl looked hurt, struck right in the heart as she looked at Rancis "W-What are you saying? You don't trust me?"

"No, no that's not it!" the boy said, trying to save himself "I-! I DO Trust you!"

"Then what was that about?!" the girl shouted back, finding her anger once more as she stomped towards the boy "Why would ya say that I'm only in it to-! To-!"

She growled, bringing her fist to her head before turning back towards the boy.

" _ **OF COURSE I'M DOING THIS FOR YOU GUYS! I'M NOT TRYING TO GO OUT OF MY WAY AGAINST VANELLOPE BUT SHE KEEPS GETTING HER STUPID BUTT INTO THIS MESS!"**_

"You get too much enjoyment out of it…." Rancis said "That whole deal with the vote? I knew it was a mistake to do it but…but…did you do that for US? Or just to hurt her?"

A few of the group looked over, their looks indicative that Rancis' accusations were on point; perhaps Taffyta was going too far and for her own vicious reasons. Rancis stepped back, remembering his own thoughts deep within. As much as he hated to admit it, part of him HAD wanted to discover his own story as a method of proof to Vanellope, that even if he were not royal he still had something to claim, something to be proud of. But as the events had continued his own observations had brought to him a new sense of worry.

Taffyta was getting prideful but to a degree where it felt the 'fun hunts' were turning nasty. Maybe it had something to do with Ralph and Snake's own reactions towards many of the sites that were coming to be but Taffyta would not let it go. It just felt that she was getting nastier and nastier, to the point where she was taking some sort of glee in watching Vanellope stumble and fall about.

She wanted to hurt Vanellope as she had done when Turbo was in charge.

Who and why was Taffyta searching for her stories again? Was it for her, to bring her own closure or was she going to use them as a means of hurting Vanellope? Rancis cared for BOTH girls and the last thing he wanted to see was the self-destruction of either as it felt like both were being led by something darkness in their hearts.

After seeing so many of his friends hurt, he wanted it to end.

"Taffyta, you have to promise me this."

"I don't have to promise ya an-!"

"PLEASE!" the boy shouted, near begging "Please! I want you to promise me this, as a friend!"

Taffyta scowled, her eyes darkening as she turned away from the boy "I can't have friends, remember? I'm programmed to be a bully and that's all I'll ever b-!"

" _ **YOU'RE NOT A BULLY!"**_

Everyone watched as Rancis rose to his feet and took Taffyta by her hand tightly, the girl letting out a loud squeak from it. She thought she could pull away but there was surprising strength in his hold and when she looked up, he was very angry.

"Stop saying that! STOP SAYING THAT!"

"Why shouldn't I?!" the girl cried back "YOU KNOW IT'S TRUE! EVERYONE SAYS IT'S TRUE!"

"No, it's not!"

"Vanellope is the only person who can 'BE' something outside her programming, remember?! That's why we're in this mess!"

"I don't believe that's true and I don't believe you were programmed to be a bully!"

Something must have been struck because Taffyta felt breathless, quickly turning away as not to let the others see her falter.

"A-are you trying to butter me up?! I've had that happen before and I'm not gonna let it happen again!"

Candlehead clutched tighter onto Lumi's hand from where they sat, the girl knowing very well WHO Taffyta was implying in that moment.

"This is why we gotta do this!" Taffyta went on "This is why we gotta FIGHT! If we don't they're just gonna keep comin' an' they'll keep comin' for Vanellope!"

"But Taffyta-!"

The girl finally managed to rip her hands from Rancis' hold, turning back towards the others and looking furious.

"If ya think I'm goin' too hard on Vanellope, remember what she's ALLOWED to happen to us over the past year! She's ALLOWED us to be pushed, to be broken, to be bashed until we're black an' blue! An' it's not just us! Even our NPCs are being effected!"

The other racers gulped in worry, remembering some of the patients in the hospital during their strike.

Many of them had been admit on other reasons and not because they were sick.

"They don't care. She DOESN'T care. When she was just a glitch, the only thing she cared about was RACING. She never cared about actually MEETING us, talking with US, doing anything with us AT ALL! The only thing on her mind was butting in the way and takin' a prize she still had yet to earn herself! She is no better than Turbo but she's got people fooled enough to let her do whatever she wants! She's NEVER cared about ANYONE but herself and what she can get!"

"I'm still not going to believe this." Rancis said, scowling "I'm not going to believe that this is all you want."

"Geeze, we get it, Rancis." Taffyta said, rolling her eyes "You have a crush on Vanellope and everyone keeps reminding me how you're gonna leave ME for HER. I shudda expected you to cave into her."

"If you must know…." Rancis said curtly, flipping his bangs "I'd much rather dip my toes in curdle cheese then DATE Vanellope. My feelings for her don't even CROSS those lines, no matter what some hokey arcade tabloids say."

" _As if we couldn't tell?"_

" _Gloyd, shut up."_

"And second of all, I care about BOTH of you." The boy said, much harder this time "I'm tired of everyone insisting I pick one of you and abandon the other as if that's a good thing! You're both my friends but just because I am your friend doesn't mean I'm going to hold back any longer when you're doing something that is clearly insane!"

"I'm sure if Vanellope did it, you'd cheer her on."

"NO, I WOULD NOT!" Rancis shot back, getting tired of being pulled "Stop making me pick and choose! I can't do this anymore! I just want both of you to be happy! I want YOU to be happy Taffyta, and I want VANELLOPE to be happy as well!"

"Even after all she's done?!"

Everyone looked, Lumi finally rising to his feet as he marched towards Rancis, the anger clear in his eyes.

"Even after EVERYTHIN' that Vanellope's done ta ya, ta all'a us?! You're still gonna let her get away with it?!"

"Don't act as if you know her, kid!" Rancis growled, pushing Lumi back "If I can recall, your pixels haven't even been in operation that long. Kinda funny how you think you're all sources of history!"

"But I _**DO**_ know her!" Lumi shouted back "I have backstories! Backstories that YOU still haven't gotten back!"

Rancis was hit with the blow but he wasn't backing down yet "Backstories are important but they don't hold anything to what is happening NOW!"

"Oh, yes." Lumi said "In Vanellope's case, YES THEY DO."

"We've heard it from you before, Pastilli! She was a brat Princess!"

"An' she's even more of a BRAT as President!" the other boy cut in "How in tha arcade can ya still stand by her when you've seen all the things she's done, all tha things she's said ta ya, all tha things she keeps let happenin'!?"

Once again silence filled the tree-house, not a racer making a peep.

"Lemme ask ya this, since I wasn't here for all this 'important' King Candy stuff." Lumi went on "When King Dandy or whatever was in charge….how did he treat ya?"

The racers looked at each other, not sure how to answer.

"I really want ta know. How did he treat ya?"

The children looked nervous, rubbing their hands together, so uncomfortable to retell those long years.

"W-Well…." Adorabeezle spoke up "He…he kinda went on like how he was our dad….I guess."

"Yeah?"

"And he put on a lot of sweet talk…but he didn't feel dad-like."

"How so?"

"It never felt like he LOVED us." Said Sticky "I guess he never did at the end of the day. He always expected us to celebrate him."

"Like Vanellope….."

Everyone looked at Lumi again, the boy frowning deeper.

"Go on. What else?"

"He….he always made himself out to be the smartest, the best, the one who knew everything."

"Like Vanellope…."

"He….he did always reserve the best things for himself. And…and when we did try to do something new, when we tried to experiment with our racers he always came up with some sort'a excuse as to why it was bad. That we should stay in our lanes while he did all the 'big things'."

"LIKE VANELLOPE."

Once more silence fell upon the racers, the group suddenly realizing that despite the game being reset they had not been freed from one controlling leader to another, even if Vanellope's place was rightfully hers.

"Tha only difference I see between tha two…." Lumi growled "Is that King Sandy-Dandy was clever enough ta keep things buried for so long. He did tha same ta me!"

"But…but that doesn't mean Vanellope is like him!" Rancis shouted again.

"No…she's WORSE!" the gummie boy spat back "King Fanny sounds like a jerk but did he ever send goons after ya guys ta shut ya up?!"

Again the crushing blow of silence; Turbo had done many things in his years as 'king' to hold the racers back, to keep them from questioning him, to keep them hidden from their own stories….

But even he had not taken such actions on the kids to put so much fear into them.

"When Vanellope came up with her stupid new rule….when-"

Lumi choked a bit, remembering what Snake had done to him.

"I'm not gonna be 'nice' ta some over-praised glitch, no matter her sob story, when her stupid goon feels like he can try ta snuff me out because she allowed him to hurt you."

"So I take it…." Taffyta began "The reason you were already at the hospital the other day….."

Lumi was trying to fight back tears but it wasn't enough, the kids seeing the droplets of water rolling down his cheeks.

"I was never so scared in my life…." Lumi said, his voice cracking "He grabbed my neck an' was holdin' it down! I couldn't breathe an' he was laughin' at me! He knew he could k-!"

Lumi stopped, he couldn't even say the word.

"Did King Candy try that on any of ya? _**DID HE SAY HE WANTED TA SEE YA DELETED?! THAT'S ALL I'VE BEEN HEARIN' SINCE YA BROUGHT ME ONLINE! EVERYONE WANTS ME DEAD! EVERYONE WANTS**_ _ **US**_ _ **DEAD!**_ "

Rancis felt like he had nothing to say, noticing the welts that were still on Lumi's neck and arms but also the ones that were on Candlehead as well. He was trying to be nice, trying to be diplomatic in everything but if Vanellope HAD cared about the others….why hadn't she done anything? Vanellope could not have been that obtuse to the condition the racers were in and the more he thought back, the only other person who had notice and taken ANY action to their injuries….

Was Felix.

And even then he had been chastised by so many for actually helping the racers, as if doing anything to help them was criminal because they had 'been against' Vanellope. Rancis did have his qualms with Lumi, many of them, but it was getting harder to deny that the boy had seen and witness exactly the right things that took away any sort of innocence to Vanellope's actions with her own game-mates. It made Rancis sick to his stomach and he kept trying to find something good from it but the more he thought about how things in the race had 'reset' since Vanellope had returned….

Even King Candy had tried to keep the game in pristine order, preventing anyone from the outside to wreck it.

Vanellope just let anyone in and they were destroying everything in sight.

Races were always orderly and the racers could go about knowing that things were, as far as they knew, fine.

Now the racers couldn't even get in first place without fear of being beaten up for 'taking Vanellope's win'.

No, things had not gotten better. Things not had not improved. As the racers thought on they began to realize that every moment of their lives SOMEONE else had been in charged and it was always against their will. First there was Turbo who had come in and robbed them of memories, of their free-will and of their stories that they were still looking for. And when Vanellope, the 'rightful' leader of Sugar Rush had gotten back things had only gotten worse. Now they were being hounded down, beaten, told that what they loved, what they cared for did not matter because they were just an afterthought to Vanellope.

That they were PLACEHOLDERS.

Even Turbo hadn't called them that.

In all their lives, the races had NEVER been theirs. They ALWAYS had to stand in the shadow of someone else at the expense of actual freedom. They had never in their lives been 'free'.

But Taffyta felt otherwise.

She strolled passed the boys, looking as sharp as ever "An' now ya get it. Now ya get what I'm 'so hard' on Von Schweetz. If we let our guard down, they'll move in for the attack. An' don't even try ta lie to yourselves and say 'they've never bothered me'! We're all wearin' scars of Vanellope's goons on us but now? I'm not gonna take another hit! I'm not gonna let 'em put a hand on any one of us anymore! We're fightin' back!"

"I'm not sure I want to anymore." Rancis said gloomily "I just want my stories back. My memories. I don't want war."

"We will only war if Vanellope keeps screwin' things up. That's her choice an' call but knowin' how stupid she is, she'll break."

"I can only take so much. We all have our limits. Even you."

"I know where my limits lie…." Taffyta said gruffly "An' I'm not stoppin' till tha games our back in tha hands of RACERS, not some cheatin' glitch."

"She's a racer, too." Rancis scowled "She's always been a racer."

"Vanellope stopped bein' a racer the moment she turned her back on Sugar Rush. The moment she turned her back on the people she EXPECTS to worship her. She is not a racers. She's like Turbo. She's a LEECH. An' she's leechin' out all the fun from us for herself."

The way Taffyta had spoken made all of the racers shiver; she had clearly made up her mind on what she wanted to do and she was not backing out of it. Rancis knew she was determined, strong but her fury and rage would only lead to more chaos should she be left to her own devices, much as the same mess that Vanellope had brought as well. The girl walked towards one of the chests in the room, opening it up to reveal the pile of maps the group had made and stored.

"We have the map Turbo made an' the one Lumi said is supposed ta exist. So far, we've been able to uncover five new areas but we all know that's not it. There's been way too much to just stop with five."

"But we have no idea where to start." Swizzle thought "Even if Turbo's map shrank the areas down we still have a lot of ground to cover an' if we don't wanna get caught by you know who…."

"We'll have to be careful but that was never a problem before." Taffyta nodded, thinking back "We just have to keep Vanellope an' the rest of her busy-body crew, well, BUSY."

"Want me ta do some heavy liftin' with 'em?" Minty grunted "Cuz after what they did ta Tori, I'm more than ready ta keep a few of those guys back for ya."

"Only if things get that hairy, Mintz." Taffyta said, looking at the two maps before her as if she were planning some sort of take over the the game. Her eyes narrowed, her focus going towards a certain racer in green "In the meantime though…"

She turned, eyes going to Lumi who now felt as if he were being preyed upon by a hungry mongoose.

"There's another map in YOUR head, Gumbetino…." The girl said, as she approached Lumi and poked him in the forehead "Tell me. What do ya know about the circus?"

* * *

"A circus?"

"Yeah, a circus track!" Mouse said to Vanellope, still tinkering away "I mean, there are just so many varieties of sweets here in your game I wonder if there was like, I don't know, a circus candy track."

"I…I don't know." Vanellope meeped sadly "I wish I could tell ya but I just don't know."

Ralph felt the worry Vanellope was extruding, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Ya okay, kiddo?"

"Ralph, I'm fine!" Vanellope screeched in annoyance as she pushed his hand away "Don't treat me like I'm a baby!"

"I'm not." The big man said in a firm voice "I'm just worried 'bout ya an' everyone else in tha game. Past few weeks here have been killer an' it doesn't feel like it's lettin' up."

"An' what do ya expect me ta do about it?! I can't be everywhere all tha time, Stink Breath!"

Even Mouse was surprised at how sharply Vanellope had responded to Ralph, not used to the girl's screams. Ralph now felt a little hurt, starting to feel doubtful that he had actually done anything to help and had once again hurt Vanellope but the girl stopped, seeing the sadness in his eyes.

She couldn't do this.

She couldn't let so many outside factors destroy the wonderful things she had been given,

The little racer took a deep breath, putting her hands in her pockets "Sorry 'bout that. I'm just a lil tired…but I swear it has nothin' ta do with tha game! O-or me! I just need-!"

What did Vanellope need?

Assurance?

Friendship?

Both?

She looked at the wires trailing from Mouse's equipment to various points in the throne room, all leading back towards the entrance of the code-room. How easy it was for Turbo to get inside and mess everything up. She paled thinking that at that very moment someone else could be plotting to do the same thing, to return her to that point of nothing where she had once felt so helpless and alone.

Who could she trust anymore?


	35. Chapter Thirty Four– The Big Top

Chapter Thirty Four– The Big Top

 _What do I know 'bout tha circus?_

 _I…I know some things. A few things._

 _Y-yeah, it's all in my backstory. I 'member what my parents said, what our parents had ta say 'bout it._

 _But…_

 _But it doesn't go any further than that._

 _There was a circus in Sugar Rush. Tha Queen didn't like it, I heard. Tha king? I don't know if he hated it too but it was somethin' tha Royals never talked 'bout an' it was somethin' that was never really brought up a lot._

 _I 'member Vanellope asked._

 _The Queen wasn't too happy._

 _There was lottsa yellin', lottsa screamin'. Vanellope looked scared. It was one of tha few moments I could see her scared. It was one of tha few times where she actually got inta trouble but it was still odd._

 _After all tha things she had done ta us, after all tha things she had gotten away with, it was a question 'bout a circus that finally got her a punishment._

 _But…_

 _I 'member some of tha other parents whisperin' ta each other. They didn't wanna bring it up, they all wanted it buried in tha past._

 _I 'member it comin' back though._

 _I 'member tha Queen bein' angry again._

 _I 'member her mentionin' ya._

That was all the information Taffyta had managed to get out of the gummie boy but with it she felt she had clues that had evaded her for such a long time. So the mysterious circus DID have a connection with her, the girl's feelings affirmed as she arrived back at the hollowed and desolate area, ALONE. She had managed to sneak away, skipping the races for the day to buy enough time and daylight in the area but even as the sun rose above her the area was still dark, as if all light were enveloped in the coldness of the woods.

She felt nervous as she moved closer and closer to the area, everything looking untouched from the moment she and the others had first seen it. She could pinpoint the exact spot she had fallen, where she had stayed until the others arrived to help her and it didn't look any better in the daylight but despite this…

"Why does this all feel so…FAMILIAR?"

She clutched onto the straps of her book bag, looking around cautiously. Who knew what Sugar Rush wildlife could be around, remembering how she and Candlehead had almost been devoured by the Twisties when they first discovered Lumi's box.

"Twisities usually like great heat and darkness…." She murmured to herself "This is plenty dark but it's way too chilly."

 _ **BWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORN!**_

The girl let out a gasp, hearing a low, dreadful tone coming from the rotted corpse of what looked to be a massive pipe organ.

Yeah, those things were always seen in circuses right? Of course, they were.

She approached it cautiously, the wood split and cracked, wormed through by who knew how many bugs. Her skin crawled at the very thought of such creatures burrowing their way through but she felt inclined to touch the surface anyway. She could see the remains of golden paint staining what little remained, a pattern showing through.

" _Hmmm?"_

She squinted, seeing reds, greens, pinks…

" _Strawberries_?"

Her eyes widened; the patterns she could see did indeed look like her signature fruit! She took a step back, stunned by the discovery.

"Are….are there more?!"

She began to dart around and soon the images became clearer; yes, there were more strawberries decorating the circus area, both the berries and the petite little buds not escaping her eye but why? She knew she had felt a connection in what she saw but at the same time it felt so alien, so scary. Her mind felt like it was being pulled like taffy, one side telling her that she had found something of hers but the other coming off as terrified, denying that such a rotten looking place could ever belong to someone like her.

 _Yes, yes! I remember this!_

 _No, no! This is disgusting!_

 _It didn't look like this! It was MAGICAL!_

 _It looks scary! I don't want to be here!_

 _Don't you remember the smell of popcorn and candy?_

 _Circuses are spooky! Gross! Stupid!_

The girl put her hands to the side of her head, a sharp buzzing painfully ringing in her ears as her body ached again.

 **GLITCH**!

 **GLITCH**!

"A-Ah!" she cried out, instantly regretting traveling the forest alone. In the distance she could hear the sounds of the other karts zooming along but they were too far out of the way to call for help, to even crawl for help and somehow what little energy they did put out near the bend echoed PAINFULLY to Taffyta.

"Urrrrgh! STOOOP!" the moaned in pain, keeling over as she now clutched her sides. Her entire body felt like it was being pulled and twisted from the inside, her pixels jumping and flashing horribly.

It was just like those other times; whenever one of the racers got closer to a strange point, they began to react strangely but why was it happening now? It wasn't as if any of the racers had kept themselves isolated to only one part of the game but ever since-

Ever since…

Lumi.

Taffyta struggled through the pain, refusing to let it beat her as she could only imagine what the others would say, specifically those from out of game. The thought of them laughing at her pain even more made her angrier and her drive to dethrone Vanellope from her ivory tower only grew stronger.

She began to get to her feet, slowly at first, but once her legs had picked her up she found strength.

"C-C-Can't let-! 101010-back away now!"

Her voice was glitched over, her pixels flashing but she continued on, one thought in particular going through her head.

" _What are you fighting for anymore?"_

Rancis' words.

She didn't want him to win, she didn't want ANYONE to win. They were always against her, always placing their bets against her to something negative. That's how things had always been since Vanellope got back in charge but after what she had gone through, after what she had to sit back and watch the others go through?

"N-N-NO MORE!"

She finally made it to one of the caravans, stopping to catch her breath for a second and feeling the glitching ebbing away.

"I-I know there's something here…." Taffyta breathed heavily, wiping her brow "It's a s-s-s-sign! It has to b-!"

" _A-Are ya goin' away forever?"_

The girl stopped, her ears twitching at the sound of a familiar voice.

"C- _Candlehead?!"_

She turned to the left, to the right but once more she found herself to be the only soul around.

Then why did she hear Candlehead?

" _Nah, just for a while! I'll be back for the next race!"_

"Was….?"

The girl's mouth dropped over, rising from her slumped position as she watched the area around her transform, bright lights surrounding her. Suddenly the worn and weathered remains of the circus began to fade, to turn and build itself up. It became bigger and bigger, grander and grander! The lights were like stars in the sky and she could smell the popcorn and sweets, hear the grand music of the organ but most of all she was surrounded!

Not by enemies.

But by other candies.

Taffyta was now in the middle of a bustling circus, candies of all shapes, sizes and kinds going about her excitedly, seemingly unaware of the lone candy person in the midst of the buzzing. The little pink racer had to blink twice, rubbing her eyes to check to see if what she was surrounded by wasn't a dream, that it was real.

She reached out, hands shaking, to touch one of the boards, finding that she could feel it from her gloved fingers.

"W-what-?" she said, her voice coming out so small "What is this?"

The girl turned, trying to find her groundings more but found she couldn't keep herself still. She dashed off, zipping and zagging throughout but finding it increasingly upsetting that no one around her seemed to even realize she was there.

"H-Hello?!" she cried out in worry, looking up around her "Hello!? Hello!? Can anyone hear me!?"

Suddenly, a large banner caught her eye, making her stop right in her tracks. Her eyes widened, her words caught in her throat.

Cirque de 10100101 Fr 10101010

It was glitched.

The sign was glitched.

Taffyta knew what CIRQUE meant but what did it matter when she could not read the rest of the words? Despite the glitch in the asset, something about it still was so familiar; the strawberries, the gold, the colors and patterns.

It was her.

It was so familiar because they belonged to HER.

" _Is….could this be-?"_

" _Mom said circuses were bad."_

Another voice.

One that Taffyta could remember from anywhere but the tone….

The tone was different.

Instead of snarky and cheeky, it sounded uncertain and scared.

"Vanellope?"

Taffyta took off again, trying to see if she could find the girl but then she remembered-

"Von Schweetz is on the tracks!" Taffyta realized to herself, her feet still running anyway "How can I hear HER when she's-!"

" _I'm sorry, Taffyta."_

Sorry, Taffyta?

Someone was APOLOGIZING to TAFFYTA?

The girl felt her feet speeding up, trying to find the sources of the voice but she could find nothing, the circus suddenly starting to warp and glitch.

" _I guess I was scared."_

Vanellope again.

" _I'm sorry, too."_

A shiver went down the girl's spine; now she was hearing HERSELF!

"What's happening?!" the girl panted in panic, the laughter and cheers that were once so welcoming and bright swirling into what sounded like maddening cackling.

" _Do you think we can be friends? Even after what mom said?"_

"What?!"

" _Everyone said we couldn't be friends. That we SHOULDN'T be friends."_

"Stop! STOP!"

Taffyta felt a powerful glitch hit her, sending her right to the ground with a heavy thud. She moaned, knees aching from the impacted as the candy people around her began to transform, becoming monstrous and sister looking as they surrounded her, almost as if they were jeering her.

"N-No, stop! STOP!"

" _ **DO YOU KNOW WHY WE CALL YOU A MUTT?!"**_

"STOP!"

" _ **YOU'LL NEVER BE ANYTHING BUT A MUTT-N-FLUB!"**_

Taffyta was growing angrier and angrier, something within her brain clicking "STOP IT! STOP CALLING ME A MUTT!"

" _ **DIRTY LITTLE MUTT! STUPID LITTLE MUTT!"**_

Again, that voice.

Vanellope.

Only seconds before she had sounded so earnest, so kind and so worried. What was going on now that caused such a change? The laughter only grew worse, Taffyta struggling with all her might to fight back everything but it now felt like she was sinking into the sod.

" _ **WE DON'T LIKE CRIMINALS IN OUR RACE!"**_

Who was that?

" _ **WE CAN'T LET A MUTTONFUDGE RACE WITH OUR DAUGHTER! DO YOU KNOW WHAT EVERYONE WILL THINK OF US IF WE LET CRIMINALS ONTO THE TRACK?!"**_

"N-NO!" Taffyta shouted again, her eyes filled with code as terrible memories of the unknown began to fill her head. Those words, the voice; they were all so familiar but she couldn't pinpoint it, she couldn't see it but she knew it had happened, she knew it was part of her story.

And she wanted to fight back against it.

 _ **NOTHING GOOD CAN COME FROM A MUTTONFUDGE!**_

 _ **THEY CAN NEVER BE GOOD!**_

 _ **THEY CAN NEVER DO ANYTHING GOOD!**_

 _ **THEY'RE NOTHING BUT CRIMINCALS!**_

It was as if Snake-Oil's cruel words had only gotten more powerful, Taffyta kicking and thrashing at invisible people.

"SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP!" she roared in rage "I AM NOT A CRIMINAL! I AM NOT A BAD GUY-!"

 _ **YES YOU ARE!**_

I

AM

NOT

A

 **BULLY!**

 _Silence._

Taffyta opened her eyes, realizing that she was now sitting up and that hours had passed, the skies now dark. She looked to her left, then to the right….but there was nothing to be seen except-

The remains of the dead circus.

What had happened? How had she blacked out so badly?

" _Taffyta?!"_

" _Taffyta!"_

" _YO TAFFYTA!"_

She squeaked, hearing the sounds of the others rustling through the forest. She sprang to her feet, unprepared for them to find her so quickly.

" _TAFFYTA!"_

Candlehead.

Candlehead was the first on the scene, her light guiding the way as the others followed after, the girl looking beside herself in worry.

"C-C-Butt?"

"We found ya!" the cake-girl cried as she rushed up and hugged the strawberry race, sobbing "Oh, we were so worried!"

The pink racer was caught off guard by Candlehead's kindness and soon the others joined in as well.

"W-What are ya doing?"

"We should ask ya tha same thing!" Minty said, crossing her arms "Ya don't show up for the day races? We need every racer we can get now, ya know!"

The others agreed, expression their own concern. Rancis moved closer, looking so worried that his curl was drooping.

"Why'd you come back here?!"

Taffyta's eyes darted back and forth "W-What do ya mean?"

"This side of the forest is DANGEROUS, even in the daylight!"

"AH!" Taffyta squeaked, standing up but she quickly put on her face, marching up to Rancis "Does it mean anything to ya when I was just trying to explore this place a bit more!? I mean, we didn't get a chance to see it when we first found it and after what LUMI told me-!"

The boy ducked down, standing in the back as all the 'fun' was going on.

Indeed, he had told Taffyta what he knew and remembered about the circus of Sugar Rush but he didn't expect the girl to rush off on her own, let alone on a race day. He was starting to regret his actions but Taffyta was just too powerful for him, the boy remembering what Rancis had said about Taffyta getting carried away.

"So?" Gloyd asked, snapping Lumi out of his stupor "Ya came all tha way out here ta find somethin'. Tell us it was worth it."

Taffyta looked around, once again putting on a face in order to hide her fear from the others. She was still very much shaken up from her trance and rightfully so, so many images and things hitting her brain so quickly.

"W-Well…." She stammered, standing tall before the others "I…."

C'mon, Taffyta.

Candlehead looked around nervously, rubbing her hands together; she didn't feel safe in the place either but she was willing to push SOME of the fear aside to hear what Taffyta had to say.

"Taffyta?"

"It's….it's…..it's just a weird circus."

The others looked confused, not expecting Taffyta to make such an answer.

"Excuse me, luv?" Rancis asked, putting a hand on the girl's shoulder "What do you mean-?"

The pink racer quickly turned, smacking the boy's hand away from her "IT'S JUST A STUPID, ROTTING CIRCUS THING, OKAY?!"

" _YEEP!_ " Rancis squealed as she tumbled back, Swizz catching him.

"It's probably like Vanellope's stupid volcano hide-out. Just some unfinished part of the game."

"But-! But Taffyta!" Lumi sputtered "I swear-! The circus-! It's connected to Y-!"

"A USELESS part of the game!" the girl butted in, quickly back-kicking one of the stands "Nice job, Lumi but I think we need to do a few more run-arounds on your memory. Ya shoulldn't be leadin' us ta things that are UNFINISHED."

"But….but…."

"Let's go." Taffyta said as she marched through the group, leading them out of the area "I can only guess that Vanellope took home everything again."

"Well…" said Sticky "Vanellope did win the final run."

Taffyta rolled her eyes; of course she did. And she could only bet that Snake was lapping it up as he always did.

"But she rushed off real quick to the castle! Didn't even let Ralph go with her!"

Taffyta stopped, surprised to hear what happened "Really?"

"Yeah." The marshmallow girl nodded "Couldn't tell ya what was on her mind though but she seemed so outta it, 'specially when YOU didn't show up."

An odd expression came upon Taffyta's face, the girl not expecting Vanellope to have such a reaction when SHE of all people were missing.

"It was just so weird." Sticky continued "Every time we had a break, she tried goin' to the town an' all through the houses."

Was this true?

"And when…."

Sticky hesitated, looking upset "Well…you can guess when it was time for the roster racers, Snake wasn't too 'nice' when he overheard you were missin' an-"

"I already heard it." Taffyta went on, walking ahead of the others "I'm used to the bag'a scales hissin' about me. Ya don't hafta tell me everything, Stix."

The others looked at each other, not sure of what to make of what just happened or what to do.

"Well?" Minty asked "Now what?"

"It's late." Taffyta said "Maybe we can get some more hunting done Sunday."

"Oh….okay."

As if things couldn't get anymore awkward.

The children then left on their separate ways, Lumi and Candlehead hanging back with Taffyta. The boy moved closer to the strawberry racer but she kept her focus ahead, almost as if she were pretending that he wasn't there.

"Taffyta."

No reply.

"Taffyta."

Again, nothing.

"Taffyta, please."

The girl sighed, "If this is about the spot, Lumi…"

"Yeah, it is!" the boy said as he stepped in front of the girl, worry in his eyes "Please, ya hafta believe me! I was tellin' ya tha truth of what I know!"

Right.

The circus.

"It's not just some 'unfinished' thing!" the boy pleaded "It really was apart of tha story! It was apart'a _**YOUR**_ story!"

"Then why won't ya tell me more?" Taffyta asked, her voice low.

"Because-!"

The boy stopped, looking fidgety before the entire group of racers.

"T-Taffyta, I just-! I don't know if-!"

"Spit it out, gummie boy!"

"Taffyta, please don't be so loud!" Candlehead said in worry, moving before the boy to protect him "If we don't get caught by Snake an' his gang, there are other baddies out here as well!"

"But if Lumi is this expert like he says he is-!" the other girl went on "He should tell me! He should tell all'a us!"

"I just-!"

"Stop playin' with me, Lumi!" Taffyta growled "I've had one maniac do that to me for fifteen years! I won't have another!"

Lumi was terrified at how Taffyta had turned, wondering if Rancis' warnings about her behavior were right. The situation he was in was growing all the more tighter around him, the boy finding that he was now caught in his own trap, feeling that no matter what he told Taffyta, she would reject it badly towards him.

"I…."

Be brave, Lumi. Be brave.

"I can only tell ya as much as my memories allow me ta…." The boy went on, giving the girl a frown "Everythin' I've been tellin' ya? Yeah, it's all tied ta tha game but it's all from MY point-of-view."

Taffyta arched a brow while Candlehead stood by. She looked at Lumi, biting her lip and worry as if she was desperate to hear some goodness from anyone. The boy knew he couldn't disappoint her, disappoint anyone, but a limit was coming up and he knew….

"Maybe…maybe my memories just made everything seem bigger." The boy said, his voice dropping in sadness "I do 'member a circus. I do 'member YA had somethin' ta do with it."

"Me? The circus?" Taffyta scoffed "As if!"

"You're tha one who asked me this ta begin with!" the boy shouted back in defense "I told ya everythin' I could that ya wanted ta know! An' now you're rejectin' it?!"

"I only asked…." Taffyta scowled, Lumi feeling the coldness of her glare back at him "Because I needed ta know about the other hidden parts. That's just as important as finding anything that belongs to us!"

Taffyta did have a way of overpowering people around her and Lumi felt it hit him to a thousand folds. He slowly shuffled away, his eyes still locked on the girl but it wasn't he who was in control.

The way she looked at him, the way she had locked on. It was almost as if she were a mongoose ready to strike her prey and Lumi could only dread how painful it was going to be.

"Taffyta!"

Candlehead rushed before the two, the girl taking Taffyta into her arms and pulling her away gently.

"Please don't fight with Lumi!" the girl said "He's only tryin' ta help!"

"Puh, he's doing a fine job'a that."

Lumi put his head down, Taffyta's tone making him feel so much worse.

"Okay, I can see ya startin' to tear up…." Taffyta said "Don't turn the waterworks on us."

"Yeah, sure…" the gummie boy grumbled.

"This is somethin' we still need ta make on tha map!" Swizz said as he got a good look at the place "If Lumi's right-?! All this code! All this stuff! It's damaged yeah but it could only be this way because of Turbo's neglect of this place! Ya know what happened ta tha docks!"

The others said their agreements, Lumi looking up once 'his' area of the game was brought up.

Just how many spots had this Turbo ruined in the game?

"I guess it wouldn't be so bad if this place WASN'T meant to be a creepy circus spot." Taffyta retorted, trying her best to sound uninterested "'Sides, we already have Gloyd ta cover that for us."

"Darn straight!" the boy said, almost proud of his own connections "But c'com, Taff! Ya gotta admit."

"I gotta admit WHAT?"

"A circus life? That would be AWESOME!"

Candlehead could see Taffyta's eyes bulge, knowing nothing good was about to come from the pumpkin boy's comments.

"Aw man, this is killer!" Gloyd said as he looked around, the only one who seemed excited at this point "I mean, yeah it looks like somethin' I'd draw in my dreams but can ya imagine this place if it were cleaned up? How big it would be? Tha races we could have on it?"

"Gloyd, stop!"

"That does sound kinda cool…." Piped in Nougetsia as she got a good look at the place "An' that big organ? Ya think it was part'a tracks or could someone play it?"

"GUYS!"

"A circus sounds cool anyway!" bounded in Minty "I'd love ta see if I were stronger than tha strongest strong man that ever, uh, STRONGED!"

"Aw c'mon, Mintz? REALLY?"

"GUYS, STOP!"

All turned to Taffyta, the girl looking red in the face but she was trembling. She breathed out hard, making it very clear that she did not find such comfort or fun in her surroundings.

"I get it…." She began "Ya all want a circus. Wheee…"

The girl walked forward, her brows furrowed.

"I regret comin' here now. I shudda stayed back at the tracks if this was how ya guys were gonna react."

"Taffyta, they didn't mean it."

"Just forget it, okay?" the girl snapped back "This-! Whatever it is, if we find out what it is…we can…..I guess we can have some fun with it…."

She moved closer to one of the fallen and decayed caravans, the prints of strawberries not escaping her and only making her feel worse.

In any other moment, seeing her own symbol would have made her just as excited as the others, maybe even MORE SO given it was something that could have been connected to her. But she couldn't bring herself to feel that way, not this time.

There was a buzz under her foot but she tried to force it back, convincing herself that she had nothing to do with it but why? Why would she try to deny herself such a thing?

And Lumi had to wonder to himself the exact same thing.

The boy was holding back his own set of words in fear of being lashed out upon again but he knew it wasn't right. Holding back the stories of the others, especially with how desperate they were to discover thing, was something he found himself hating but both Taffyta and Snake had scared him into submission.

He just found he no longer had the strength to do it.

"It's just a circus…." Taffyta said to herself, her friends hearing the wavering in her voice "It's filled with clowns, with animals, with-?"

"Popcorn?"

The girl turned, Candlehead meekly coming out of the crowd,

Of course she would mention FOOD.

"C-Candy?" the girl went on, trying to fill the hole with something good for a change "I-I know ya like strawberry crepes. An' ice cream. C-Circuses have that, don't they?"

"They also have FREAKS."

FREAKS?

Why would Taffyta mention that?

"Circuses are filled with FREAKS, Candlehead." The strawberry racer said "An' would ya wanna be a friend with a FREAK?"

The others were left confused, all a-worry to what Taffyta could have meant by such a statement but as she turned to walk away.

SQUEAK!

She gasped, looking down to see that her foot had stepped on something.

"Ya okay there, Taff?" asked Swizz, the boy seeing the girl bend down as she picked up the object.

" _A…..a toy?"_

A pink stuffed animal.

"What is that thing?" Minty asked, she and the others getting closer as they surrounded the strawberry girl "Some kinda bear?"

"No, it looks more like a cat."

"I think it's a mouse!"

"A weasel!"

"A…a meerkat?"

"Where'd ya get, MEERKAT from?"

As the others went about guessing Taffyta was frozen in place. She clutched the item, looking right into its eyes.

 _Mama! It's like YOU!_

 _Squeak!_

" _Squeak…."_

* * *

 _Where are ya goin' lil girl?_

 _Tha show is about ta begin….an' we need our star GLITCH!_

Vanellope ran through the darkness, a haunting air around her. She had no idea where she was going but as long as she could get away from the voice she knew she was safe. It shook her to her code, made her glitch and whimper all because it sounded so familiar….so sinister.

Like King Candy.

"OH HO HO HO HO!" laughed the voice "You aren't goin' anywhere m'dear!"

The girl felt a massive hand falling upon her, crushing her onto the ground but no matter how hard she tried to glitch she could not to escape. She cried out and screamed, kicking her legs as she felt herself pulled back into the darkness but before she knew what was happening-

" **LIGHTS!"**

"AAAAH!" the girl screamed, the blinding lights causing her to cover her eyes and glitch, only to scream once more as she dropped from the dizzying heights. She landed with a hard and painful thud, finding herself situated in the middle of what appeared to be-!

"A…..a….?"

She looked down, finding herself atop of a strangely painted platform, more lights coming on with loud CLANKS as the entire area came into view.

A circus.

What was she doing in the middle of a circus?

The girl tried to move but a massive weight dropped upon her, her voice coming out in a loud gasp as she looked to her sides.

"N-no!"

Glitch-proof chains!

They appeared on her arms, on her legs, around her waist but the final one closed tightly around her neck, nearly choking her. She was trapped, helpless as the lights above her only grew brighter and hotter.

"An' right now!" came the voice of that manipulative monarch once more "The GLITCH is on display!"

Loud echoing BOOS filled the air as Vanellope looked around, the empty seats suddenly filling with the candy residence of her game, all leering back at her with glowing, unfriendly eyes. She shook as they all glared at her, calling to her, looking more and more glitched and mutated as the seconds went by.

What had happened to her kingdom?

What had happened to her people?

Why had they turned on her once more?

"Awww, don't be that way everyone!" Candy said again, Vanellope looking up to see him appearing before her with a glitch but rather than wearing his 'royal' garb he had appeared before her in attire more fitting to the occasion, looking more like a Ring Master than a king.

Vanellope could not take her eyes away from what she saw, her blood running cold, her mouth dry as it hung open.

No.

This couldn't be real.

Why was this happening?

Why was this coming back?

"It seems like the Glitch isn't up to performing." The man said, the fakeness of his sadness ringing in Vanellope's ears "Dearie me, I do not know whatever could be wrong with her…."

He then turned towards the audience, his teeth gleaming into a twisted smile.

"Audience! What should I do with such a poor, unfortunate creature as this?"

Vanellope looked forward, seeing that the empty rows began to fill, fill with so many faces she knew.

The racers.

Felix.

Calhoun.

The other Bad Anons.

And Ralph….

They were all there, all showing such hatred and scorn at the little racer placed before them, Vanellope feeling their bitterness shooting right from their eyes into her very code.

"S-Someone! HELP!" she cried out, trying to fight and glitch her way free but she was trapped, the weight and tightness of the chains only increasing around her. Candy chuckled, walking daintily around her as she continued to thrash and scream on the platform like an animal.

"I am used to picking up freaks for my show…." The man cooed, putting his jagged hands under Vanellope's chin "Mmmmm, but I am afraid you are far too broken for even ME to use."

Vanellope felt herself thrown back onto the platform, her arms and legs pulled out as she was held in place, the circular object rising up to put her front and center before the dark looking crowds, their eyes and forms looking even more evil than before. She could only utter out panicked breaths, trying in vain to glitch her way free but she was trapped.

She had no strength.

No power.

She was helpless.

 _ **OH HO HO HO HO HO!**_

And Candy had finally gotten her.

But this couldn't have been right. None of this was right! Vanellope knew better, she could fight better, at least that's what everyone had told her. She had so much power, so much talent and so much wit! She could talk her way out of anything, bring people down to her knees!

But she couldn't bring it up.

She found that she had no voice as once she was propped in front of her true nightmare….

She had no power.

She was no different than any of the very racers she had been told she could live without.

"S-Someone!" the girl cried, trying to twist and wriggle herself free, finding it harder and harder to breathe "Someone help me! HELP ME!"

"What a weakling."

The air went cold despite the beaming lights above her, Vanellope still sweating with fear as she looked forward.

The other racers.

They gave her such disgusted looks of disdain, so many painful memories rising within the girl but she couldn't make heads or tail of what was happening nor could she escape. She was trapped, held down by such a power.

"I can't believe Candy would make us watch her." Said Crumbellina.

"What is she? A mistake or somethin'?" said Swizzle.

Vanellope's heart began to race, beating as she heard those familiar words, those familiar insults coming back to her. It was just as it had happened in the past, when Turbo was in charge of her home, when Turbo had his hands on her friends.

Why was this happening again?

Why was this happening now?

"Urgh, a GLITCH!"

"She's pathetic!"

"She's useless!"

The insults continued to swirl around her, coming in faster and faster, louder and louder. She could not escape them, she could not block them out. She gasped and shrieked, trying to move her arms and legs but she could do nothing to defend herself.

It was like those terrible years.

Those many terrible years.

" _ **STOP IT!"**_ she bellowed out as loudly as she could _**"I AM NOT A GLITCH! I AM THE PRESIDENT OF THIS GAME!"**_

Something had turned in the girl's brain, whatever clout and snark her held before was gone. She had been reduced to behaving like an animal, thrashing and screaming about but only to get them to stop, to get them to listen to her.

" _ **I AM BETTER THAN ALL OF YOU!"**_ she snarled, hair getting tangled in her eyes _**"I-! I-! I RULE THIS KINGDOM! I'M-! YOU'RE-! YOU'RE ALL JUST PLACEHOLDERS! YOU'RE NOTHING! YOU'RE-!"**_

 _ **PA-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAH!**_

A familiar voice made the girl stop, the laughter continuing as she gazed into the crowd…

"… _R-Ralph?!"_

Ralph sat in the middle of the crowd, his loud laughing continuing as he pointed towards Vanellope, the girl stunned at what she was seeing.

Was Ralph really laughing at her?

What did he find so funny?

The big man continued to chortle, to snicker, the sound of his bellowing laughter finally dying down after a moment before he aimed his focus back at Vanellope.

His eyes.

They were filled with such contempt.

This couldn't be Ralph, not the Ralph Vanellope knew.

"Phst." The big man said, his cold glare going into the girl "I wasted my time on this thing?"

Vanellope felt her hands going limp; this thing?

"I risked my life for someone this pathetic…." Ralph continued on, his voice low "What a glitch."

"N-No…." Vanellope choked out, her eyes starting to fill with tears "R-Ralph. I thought….I thought we were friends."

"Why would I be friends with someone like ya?" the big man said, his voice so loud within the massive circus tent "You're disgustin'. Even a bad guy wouldn't wanna be around a GLITCH."

"B-But-!"

The girl shut her eyes, trying to fight back the growing pain she felt within her body but she couldn't hold it back any longer.

" _ **YA-! YA SAID I WAS MORE THAN JUST A GLITCH! YA SAID I WAS SPECIAL! EVERYONE SAID I WAS SPECIAL!"**_

"You're not special…." Ralph growled, crossing his arms against his chest "What maniac told ya that? Why would ANYONE tell ya that?"

" _Y-Ya were tha one who…."_

Vanellope didn't know what to say, she didn't know what was going on. It had to be a dream, it had to be some sort of nightmare but it felt too real, too painful. Maybe she could have expected this from the other racers but Ralph?

Why had Ralph turned on her?

"I-is this about what I've been sayin' ta tha others?!" the girl blurted out, hoping that maybe that was what had brought about Ralph's turn against her "I-! I got carried away! I never meant ta call anyone a Placeholder! That was all-!"

"Don't go blaming everyone else…" came Candy's voice, the man slithering up next to her "That's only makin' EXCUSES my dear. An' we all know how we feel 'bout people who make EXCUSES…."

The man moved closer, far too close. His nose was pressing against her skin, Vanellope feeling his hot dry breath against her.

"Wasn't it ya who said that those PLACEHOLDERS were makin' excuses when they aligned themselves with me?"

" _Pl-Placeholders?"_ Vanellope said with a whimper and a glitch.

"Don't pretend like you've forgotten so quickly…." Candy cooed, his nose bumping up against her even closer "You know what you called them."

" _W-What did I-?!"_

Candy took ahold of Vanellope's chin, twisting her neck to face the still jeering crowds but the ones who stood out the most were the racers. Their colors were still muted and faded but they stood out nonetheless, not at all helped by the sinister glowing in their eyes, all aimed at her.

"What did you call them, huh Princess?" Candy said, licking his chops and dropping his 'goofy' voice "What was that wonderful term you used on them?"

Vanellope refused to answer, terrified as the man's sharp fingers dug deeper into her cheeks. His eyes narrowed but the grin on his face grew wider.

"Stop holding it back. You were so certain to say that word before them only seconds ago."

"I-!" Vanellope gasped again, her fingers trembling against the metal cuffs straining her wrist "I-! I didn't mean it!"

"Yes, you did." Candy said, his voice starting to warp as he squeezed her face again "Don't lie. Don't even try to start lying now. You knew what you called them and you meant it."

"I-I didn't!" Vanellope cried out, tears streaming down her cheeks "I didn't mean it!"

"You always go on about how words hurt…."

" _ **I DIDN'T MEAN IT!"**_

"Yet you're always the first to fling them around…."

" _ **NO! NO, PLEASE STOP!"**_ the girl begged, thrashing in her hellish prison _**"STOP THIS! PLEASE! PUT ME DOWN! SOMEONE HELP ME! SOMEONE SAVE ME!"**_

"You meant those words just like you meant the words from your story."

Vanellope's eyes shot open.

Her story?

"You cannot erase me from your past just as you cannot erase what you did." Candy went on, Vanellope feeling as if she were rising in his hold "You and everyone else in this arcade can go on all they want about how backstories don't matter. They can tell that lie to each other all they want but the moment they need something to use against another? They pull them out."

The vanilla racer did not want to believe what was happening. She did not want to believe what Candy was saying.

But it was true.

And she had been one to participate in it.

"What have you told your new friends?" Candy grinned "There have been so many things they know. SO many things you told them."

Vanellope wanted nothing more than to disappear, the show having turned into some sort of twisted autopsy of her own code, with Candy being the one to cut, slice and reveal the rottenness within her.

All the while whole arcade watched in disgust at the one they had heralded for so long as a hero.

"I know what the truth is…." Candy went on, turning the girl towards one racer in particular.

Taffyta?

As the darkness surrounded the others, Taffyta form stuck out. Soon everything else began to roll back into the darkness, the big top growing quiet as the only ones that remained were three; Vanellope, Candy and-

" _T-Taffyta?"_

The girl said nothing as she glared at Vanellope, her eyes cold. She stood but a yard from the other two characters, silence surrounding her.

"Tell them the truth…." Candy said, Vanellope trying to fight his terrible grip around her head as he forced her to look straight onto the other girl "Don't you remember it, PRINCESS? Don't you remember what you told her? What you did to her?"

"N-NO!" Vanellope cried out again "I-! I CHANGED!"

"But no one can change!" Candy cackled, the lights starting to glitch and swing around from above _**"NO ONE CAN CHANGE, REMEMBER?!"**_

"I'M NOT LIKE THAT ANYMORE!" Vanellope hollered, desperate for any means to escape but she was only reminded again of her helpless position, Taffyta looking on as still as a statue "Taffyta! HELP! HELP ME PLEASE!"

Taffyta did nothing.

"I KNOW YOU CAN!"

Again, nothing.

"Th-this isn't about our stories, i-is it?!" Vanellope pleaded "I-! Ya hafta remember what happned! Ya-! I-! We-! We ended up-!"

" _I don't have a story, remember?"_

The lights finally flickered back on, frozen in place. An eerie moan surrounded the two as Vanellope looked on and suddenly-

FWOOSH!

She dropped to the ground with a short scream, landing to find that she was freed from her captor. She looked to the side of her, the platform gone as was everything else even hinting that a circus had been there.

All that was left was her….

And Taffyta.

The strawberry racer looked down in pure hatred at Vanellope, not one drop of sympathy felt from her.

"I have no story, Princess." The girl said in a bitter tone "You've told me that. All your friends have told me that…."

Vanellope rose to her feet but was too nervous to move closer to the girl "But-! But….but that's not true!"

"It is true."

"No, it's not!"

"You said it yourself."

"I-!"

Vanellope didn't want to say it.

But she knew she had to say it.

"I was-! I WAS-!"

What was holding her back?

"I remember what you did to us, Princess." Taffyta said, the other girl looking up as she took notice of the change in her eyes "I remember every line you threw towards me. Towards my family."

The vanilla racer began to shake in her boots, taking feeble steps back as something began to swirl around Taffyta.

"You called me a MUTT, Vanellope!" Taffyta shrieked, her voice echoing monstrously "YOU CALLED ME A FREAK!"

"I-!" Vanellope once again found herself on the begging end of the situation, having never felt so weak in her life "I didn't mean to-!"

" _ **YOU CALLED ME A FREAK! YOU CALLED MY FAMILY FREAKS!"**_

"And that's because they ARE!"

Vanellope looked up, finding no one but hearing the cackling laughter of-

Candy?

Snake?

BOTH?

" _Oh, no…."_

She could hear BOTH of them surrounding the two girls, their horrendous laughter feeling as if it were crushing Vanellope were she stood. How could this have happened? Why now of all times?

" _ **STOP PRETENDING YOUR SO INNOCENT, PRINCESS!"**_ called the voices from above _**"STOP LEADING THIS STUPID ARCADE TO THINK THAT YOU'RE THE ONLY VICTIM HERE!"**_

"No, no, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Vanellope cried out, sinking to her knees as she pounded her hands to her temples "SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP! I WAS WRONG! I WAS WRONG ABOUT EVERYTHIN'! I WAS WRONG ABOUT TAFFYTA! I WAS WRONG ABOUT THE OTHERS!"

"Then why won't you do anything?!"

Vanellope looked up, Taffyta appearing before her like some sharp-toothed beast, her form becoming more and more jagged as she got closer, the bleak clouds around her blowing a strong gust of wind right in Vanellope's face.

"WHY WON'T YOU HELP US?!" Taffyta roared at Vanellope, making her scream in fear "WHY WON'T YOU DO ANYTHING, PRINCESS?! WHY DID YOU MAKE THINGS THIS WAY AGAIN?!"

"Taffyta! I'm sorry! I just don't know what happened!"

The other girl let out a bone-chilling roar, the mass of black only growing larger and larger before it too formed dangerous looking eyes.

"YOU HAVEN'T CHANGED, VANELLOPE! YOU'RE STILL THE BAD GUY!"

"NO, NO! PLEASE DON'T-!"

"YOU'RE STILL THE BAD GUY VANELLOPE!" the other girl said "JUST LIKE I'M STILL THE FREAK!"

Taffyta scream carried throughout the room as the massive shadow loomed above her, taking a dive right for Vanellope! The girl screamed, locked in place and unable to glitch herself to safety just as the monster barreled for her and-!

" _ **NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"**_

Vanellope rolled out of bed, falling to the ground with a thud.

Nothing to her left.

Nothing to her right.

A nightmare?

Please it let be so.

The girl was trembling, glitching terrible as she tried to pull herself back into bed but there were far too many glitches, her body going through the covers and mattress and onto the ground. She began to cry, once again helpless under her own powers and alone in a castle that felt less and less grand with each passing day.

Why was this happening?

Why now of all times?

"It can't be true…." Vanellope whimpered to herself "Please don't let it be-!"

 _Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!_

The girl gave a cry again, the phone ringing beside her. She buried herself in her covers, only taking a peak once the answering machine kicked in.

BEEP!

" _Pressssssident Vanellope?"_

No.

It couldn't have been.

Snake?

Vanellope trembled but she took deep breathes, trying her best to keep herself from glitching and losing a grip on the phone. After a few seconds, she managed to pick it up, gulping to find her voice,

" _H-Hello?"_

" _Ah, ssssso you are there!"_ chirped Snake on the other end _"I am ssssssorry for calling at sssssuch an early time but I wanted to go over sssssome thingssss with you before the next ssssssset of racessssss."_

Vanellope looked at the clock on her nightstand, finding that Snake was right about one thing as it WAS far too early for him to be calling. What in the arcade could he want now?

"W-What do you want, Snakey?"

" _I wanted to talk about having that Hero'ssss Duty busssssy-body in your game."_

The Busy-Body?

That Mouse lady?

"U-uh?"

Vanellope was still shaking but she couldn't think of a good enough excuse to hang up, knowing that Snake would find some way to talk his way around the girl.

"S-Snake, I think….I think ya should ease up just a tad on her."

" _What do you mean, Pressssident_?" the Snake said on the other end _"Asssss much assss I don't want to dissssmisss you I feel that after the eventssss of what happened with Calhoun, ssssshe and the resssst of her crew might be planning sssssomething. Hencccce why they sssssent a ssssspy here."_

"Calhoun would never do that!" Vanellope blustered, catching herself "I mean-! I-I know Calhoun can be rough at time but she's always had the best out for me! Wh-what happened with tha whole bad guy thing? I still think she was set up."

" _I find it admirable that you're willing to give her the benefit of the doubt…."_ Snake went on _"But from my own persssssonal experiencccccce, cccccertain people jussssst cannot be trussssted, no matter how much of a facccce they put on."_

Boy, was Vanellope having regrets now, the girl pulling her knees closer to her face and finding it difficult to respond.

"Snake? I…."

" _What isssss wrong, Pressssident?"_

"I….I jussssst don't know."

" _Thossssse other little bratsssssss haven't been messssssing with you again, have they?"_ Snake said, Vanellope's fear spiking _"Jusssst sssssay the word and I will-!"_

"No, please don't!"

" _Presssssident?"_

"I….it's not them!"

" _Them what isssss it?"_

Vanellope's brain was starting to glitch, her mind unable to come up with a good enough escape for this moment and she only knew that Snake would find some other way to get the info out of her.

"I-!"

" _Yesssss?"_

"I think there's more glitches happenin' in the game…" Vanellope blurted out "Somewhere? I think they're happening again…"

The girl could hear a slight sound of on the other end of the phone, imaging Snake looking displeased.

" _And I knew having that Op in_ _ **YOUR**_ _game wasssss trouble."_ Snake snorted " _Ssssshe may have messssed thingsssss up even more."_

"I-I dunno…" Vanellope said "But we may need to see for ourselves…."

" _Ooooh, WE?"_

Vanellope felt so alone in that moment, knowing that she was about to take a massive risk but given how shaken up she was….

Given how she remembered how RALPH had treated her in her dream…

Perhaps this was another moment Ralph needed to be left out, the girl worried of what could come if she were to take him too far.

"Snake?"

" _Yesssss, Presssssident?"_

"I'm sorry that I keep doin' this but….." the girl said, her voice shaking "I need another favor from ya."

It was early.

They all still had time.

* * *

"A circus?" Rancis said as he looked at one of the props the others had taken from the site "But…but I don't remember this at all!"

Vanellope was not the only one who was up early that morning. Given the discovery they had made, the racers had promised to meet with each other before the races though their excitement meant that many of them were not able to sleep regardless. They all talked over each other, speaking this way and that about what they had found, what it could have meant and why unlike the other areas they had discovered it was right in the open.

Sure, Gloyd's area was there but it had been stripped of nearly every clue related to the boy, everything about him buried or covered up. In the case of the circus, even as much as Taffyta tried to deny it, the strawberries were out in front of everyone and had anyone been brave enough to venture to the darker parts of Sugar Rush themselves they would have instantly tied the place back to Muttonfudge.

The racers hadn't been in the area since they were plugged in but given that VANELLOPE had been by herself….why hadn't she made a single mention of the area? The moment they all had their memories restored, one would have thought that Vanellope would be right on the case to inform the others of the area she had found on her own but she hadn't.

Did she even know it was there?

And if so, why would she hide it?

Why would anyone want to hide such a place?

"But it was there!" Lumi blurted, having a hard time keeping himself back as the others once again showed no memories of their past encounters in their own home "Ya gotta believe me on this! There was a circus track! An'-!"

He stopped, unable to finish as he looked over to Taffyta. The girl had been by herself in the opposite corner of the tree-house fort, holding the pink stuffed toy in her hands.

It was familiar.

In her code she knew it was hers.

But she could not recall it.

Lumi frowned sadly, unable to say what he wanted because something was holding him back as well but what? He was once again pulling back only moments after showing such excitement and flair.

"Guys, look." Lumi said "Each'a us? There's a special place for all'a us in this game. Ya think someone would make a game like this an' only put in so many dinky lil tracks?"

"But this is what we're used to." Said Nougetsia "We've ridden these tracks for years! Nothin' out of place caught our minds!"

"There had ta be some odd moments!" Lumi said "Wasn't there at least a time where somethin' was outta place an' when ya tried ta ask that Candy king of yours? How did he react?"

The other racers looked at each other, all having one scary story after another to how Candy would react whenever they got 'too curious'. Even with the excitement they had before with the map that Lumi had told them about, they were having a few second thoughts about the circus and it didn't seem as bright as it once did. It was almost as if that the moment they touched the area, some hidden parts of their memories had come back to them all but it wasn't filled with sweetness and honey.

Something had come back, and it was something that none of them liked…

Except for…

" _Why can't I remember you?"_

Taffyta looked at the stuffed animal again, trying hard to regain any sort of memory from it. The button eyes, the fluffy pink fur and the squishy insides of it. She held it and a small part of her felt happy, a small part of her felt at home, a small part of her remembered that Sugar Rush was so big and grand.

But that was it.

That was all she could remember.

There was something still missing.

She shook, knowing full well to herself that she did want to know more but she had prevented herself from revealing the truth to the others. They couldn't know how she felt, she couldn't let them see her so vulnerable, not after she knew what OTHERS would do if they caught her crying again.

She had been hurt before.

Never again.

Rancis couldn't stand it any longer, not at all enjoying how his friends were being pushed and pulled on the 'journey'.

"We have to go back."

"To where?"

"That spot!" the peanut butter boy said, hot determination in his eyes "I'm certain that Vanellope is off somewhere else with Ralph and…gurgh, SNAKE so we have to make use of the cover we have now!"

For once Lumi decided to obey Rancis, the boy nodding his head "R-Right! Sounds like a plan ta me!"

"An' what do ya plan on doin' once we get there?" Gloyd said, blocking Rancis where he stood.

"There will be more of us…." The boy said "We can find more information. Possibly unlock something."

He turned, looking at Taffyta in the corner. She had said not a word but there he was, planning something that was connected to HER. He kicked himself inside, realizing that the most important person concerning the expedition should have had her say in the matter.

"Taff?"

No reply.

Not good.

Rancis nervously approached the girl, putting a hand on her shoulder softly.

"Luv?"

Again, she did not say anything, Rancis seeing her squeeze the doll in her hands.

"This is all up to you."

"Is it?"

Rancis felt nervous, his curl twitching but he didn't back down "Yes. I didn't mean to take over like that but…but I wanted to find something too. Even if the area has nothing to do with me, I'm just happy knowing that we uncovered something else."

"But what if what we find says something terrible?" continued the girl "What if it says something terrible about ME?"

"It doesn't matter." Rancis continued "Backstories or not….you'll still be my friend. I'll still care for you."

The boy could see Taffyta's grip on the doll tightening; something had been struck.

Taffyta didn't want to show it but she had never felt so wonderful in her life to hear such words coming from Rancis. It was almost a sign, proof to her that she did have friends despite what so many people around the arcade had yelled at her. She didn't want to appear weak though, she didn't want to break in front of the others.

But she also didn't want to disappoint Rancis anymore.

She looked off to the side sadly, peering back into the eyes of the little animal plush. She knew the answers were back at the circus, so much code and other mysteries waiting to be uncovered but also waiting for her.

This was what she had wanted.

She wanted to find more.

She wanted to find more about herself.

And despite how nervous she felt, she knew she couldn't hide any longer.

"Alright." She said, standing and feeling as if she were towering over the others, the adrenaline kicking in "After tha races! We're takin' off!"

Plans were made.

But plans were also broken.

 **"IT'S GONE!"**

The arcade had closed and the racers were already at the sight but something important was not.

The circus.

IT WAS GONE.

"NO WAY!" Minty said to herself as she looked at the blank spot. She rubbed her eyes, making sure she wasn't seeing things "Um, there was a circus here earlier right?"

"This is impossible!" said Rancis, running to and fro the entire place "How could so much stuff be taken away! I mean-! Unless-!"

Had someone tampered with the code?

The kids said not a word, not sure if it would help in anything given the situation. Lumi was slack jawed, eyes wide as he looked at the field. The grass was dead and worn, signs that something had been there before but had someone else come around they wouldn't have been able to tell otherwise.

The spot was picked clean.

"Oh no…." Candlehead mewled to herself, peering over at Taffyta who as still as a statue.

She had feared the place.

She had feared facing the truth of it.

But now she would never be able to.

This wasn't right, this didn't make sense. If some code had been reset, there would have been some sign, they would have been able to hear or feel it on their own.

Swizz furrowed his brows, his brain already at work as he began to investigate the area.

"Yo, Brain-Boy." Minty said, watching her friend walk further into the area "Watcha got there?"

Taffyta watched as well, curiosity getting the better of her as she observed Swizzle's movements and he knew what they were looking at was not just any 'reset' of the area.

"Broken branches here." He began, looking at the indents in the ground "Fresh tire tracks….sandwich cookies…."

"Swizz, whatcha find?"

The boy stood up, not at all looking happy "It's been pinched."

"What now?"

"Someone's been here."

"Ya sure about that?"

"Oh, I am…." The boy said, picking up a patch of purple fur he found caught in some of the brush around.

Purple fur?

"Wait a second…." said Sakura as she looked closer at the item in Swizz' fingers "I-! I know that color! That belongs to that cat-lady person that Snake always hangs out with!"

"Felia?!" Adorabeezle said in fright, already fearing the claws of the feline foe "Wh-What do you think she was doing out here?!"

"If I had a guess…." Swizzle said "I think she an' tha rest of the Snake crew came in here an' moved everythin'!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold on a moment there, Swizzle!" Rancis said as he jumped in "That's….that is QUITE the thought you had but is it possible?"

"With enough hands…."

Everyone turned, Taffyta finally speaking up.

"With enough hands and time, a circus can be set up in the blink of an eye."

Lumi blinked, the girl looking distant in her words "Taff?"

"The big top can be set up in a snap…." She continued on "I've seen it rise above the sky, standing even higher than Diet Cola Mountain."

What was she getting on about?

"An' when the lights come on? It's like nothing you've ever seen. It's like the stars in the skies come down to you an' when you fly through the sky? It's like nothing you've ever felt. It makes you feel free."

Taffyta's mind had wandered off somewhere, the others wondering just what she was seeing that they weren't. Lumi bit his lip, the only one of the group who fully understood what Taffyta meant but was far too scared to say it.

She was connected to the circus

But it was now gone.

Or at least, that's what the other children thought.

Taffyta felt a tug in her chest, knowing that her chance was gone. After everything she had forced herself to overcome it was gone. She shut her eyes tight, her heart beating so rapidly in her chest.

"W-What do we do now?" asked Adorabeezle but Taffyta crossed her path, walking back towards the entrance of the woods.

"It's just some dumb circus…." The others heard the girl say, her back towards them "I bet there's better things we could find so let's go."

"Are…are ya sure you're okay?" Rancis asked, the girl still turned away from him.

"I'm feelin' better knowin' this place is gone." The girl said but Rancis was no fool as he could hear the crack in her voice.

The girl's throat began to ache and she swallowed back, the loneliness returning as she walked back down the path.

"Circuses are only good for freak shows…." Taffyta muttered to herself, her left eye stinging "An' I'm notta freak…."

* * *

Vanellope tip-toed into one of the many garages of the castle, the girl making certain that she had not been spotted. She had told the other candy helpers to take a break, to go into the village as she and her 'friends' took care of other things.

"Will ya lookit all this junk!"

Though it wasn't as if many of them enjoyed it.

The door shut behind Vanellope, the girl surrounded by loads and loads of debris but the panels and decals told the truth.

Strawberries.

White blossoms.

Pink, white and gold.

Taffyta.

The circus, or what had remained of it, had been stored in the castle's massive garage.

"I think I got a few splinters…." Mewled Felia as she looked at the cuts on her hand "I'm used to dishin' out rough stuff but I've never been around anythin' THAT broken!"

"Huh, that's because most of this junk is broken!" Baston laughed, Vanellope not sharing the sentiment.

Another one of the group looked around, uncertain to what any of the things around them meant "I don't get it, Snake? Why is this so important? Why'd we have to move all'a this?"

"Vanellope issssss the one who felt it nesssssesssary to do sssssso." Snake slithered up, putting a hand atop Vanellope's head and making her glitch "Ssssshe felt that it wasssss a hazzzzard to be in the woodssssss and I would agree!"

"It was so spooky when I got out there!" Felia shivered, her tail fluffing up in nervousness "Kinda wish I had said no ta joinin' ya."

"We needed as much hand as we could get!" Baston griped back "S'not like I DON'T know how ya feel!"

"We could only get so much moved by ourselves!" said one of the game-less baddies in Snake's troupe "But thankfully those stupid kids were too busy during tha day-races ta notice!"

Vanellope flashed an angry glare at the boss, the character not noticing; stupid kids. That wasn't too nice.

"Nonethelessssss…." Snake hissed in pride "I can only bet thossssse Placcccceholdersssss were going to do ssssssomething with thisssss messsss if they ever found it."

"With this junk?" said another baddie "All I see are broken bits of candy an' some stupid organ. What could anyone want with this TRASH?"

Vanellope felt a wave of heat come over again as the baddie spoke. Once upon a time, she had only TRASH to use and she had tried everything she could to create something out of it. It was funny seeing the same people who had praised her own 'ingenuity' were now tearing down the same material she would have used had she found it herself but on top of that….

 _The circus wasn't junk…_

 _The circus wasn't trash….._

 _I know it wasn't! It wasn't!_

"I think we should just get rid of this…." Baston said, kicking one of the wheels of a cookie carvan, laughing a bit as he watched it turn to brittle crumbs under him "I mean, what good is this for? 'Sides, it has that Muttonflub's mark all over it!"

The hair on Vanellope's neck stood on end as she watched the other baddies gather around the remains of the circus, deep snickering in their voices and all looking poised to destroy something again.

Vanellope remembered when the other racers had destroyed her kart.

But now her 'friends' had taken up that role and it felt just as horrible.

"Muttonflub? In a circus?" said someone else "Makes sense! The little booger feels like she would be a freak!"

 _No._

 _Stop callin' her that._

 _She's not a freak._

 _SHE' NOT A FREAK!_

The baddies started their actions on the remains of the circus, breaking wheels, ripping apart the remaining fabric. Vanellope was left in anguished silence as she watched those she thought she could trust replaying the horrible events of her old life she had wanted buried in the past.

But she couldn't get mad at the racers this time. They weren't the ones who were doing this.

It was the people SHE brought in, the people SHE thought she could trust.

One would have thought that Vanellope would ENJOY watching something that might have belonged to Taffyta getting destroyed, 'just desserts' as the others would have said.

But she knew it was wrong.

She knew it wasn't right.

And she felt sicker and sicker the more they trashed.

Because it felt all too familiar but not because of Taffyta's bullying.

Someone closer.

Someone Vanellope did not want to mention.

Someone she did not want to-!

"WAIT!"

The group stopped, looking at the President who stood before them in slight panic.

"Pressssident?" Snake hissed as he stooped down to the girl "Isssss sssssomething the-?"

"Don't trash this!"

"Excuse me?"

Vanellope glitched to the others, ripping a wheel from one of their hands "I said leave it alone!"

"But Prez, what's to be upset about? It's only JUNK!"

"It's NOT junk!" Vanellope shouted, stamping her foot on the ground "LOOK. I know I had ya guys move it here an'-! An' I have my reasons!"

"From the way you put it, Pressssssident…." Snake-Oil slithered up "You sssssounded assss if thisssss were a danger to you and everyone elssssse in the kingdom. I mean, I have never sssssseen you so freighted when you took me to-!"

"I-!"

Vanellope had to think quickly if she wanted to save the items as well as her own skin, everyone waiting for her to say something.

"Yeah, I was worried because…..because I didn't want people to get hurt."

"What wassss that?"

"I…..I knew this place was out here but if tha others found it? If anyone found it an' started messin' with it? I know they wudda gotten hurt an' I would HATE for that ta happen!"

The older characters looked at each other, a little confused but they slowly began to put the bits they had broken down onto the ground. Vanellope felt a bit of tension easing up, knowing that she had gotten their attention as well as prevented them from destroying anymore stuff.

"I…I don't know if this is connected ta Taffyta." The girl said "I mean, even with strawberries….it could mean a number'a things!"

"But don't you think-?"

"I THINK…." Vanellope said, putting her arms out "It might be better if we left this be right now. An' who knows, maybe I can have Felix fix it an' find some good use for it!"

Perfect cover, Vanellope.

"This organ? Look at it." Vanellope went on "Why tha Ho-Hos should we mess this big thing up?"

Some of the baddies began to nod and say their agreements, almost as if they had forgotten they were destroying the things only seconds before.

"An' these, um, wheeled…cage thingies?" Felia said "What can we do with these?"

"I…I'll find somethin' for 'em." Vanellope sighed "But right now, we can't let anyone else know. Not yet."

"If you assssssk me…." Snake popped in "Ssssharing thissss with the ressssst of the game ssssseemssss too niccccce onccce I sssssssee how grand thisssss all isssss."

"I don't wanna keep EVERYTHIN' ta myself, Snakey." The vanilla racer said in a rather meek voice "Can't I share a few things with the others once in a while?"

"Oh, the choicccce is up to you for that!" the reptile grinned "But I'm jussssst sssstating that they might not desssserve sssssuch excccelenecccce given what they did to you and how they view people like USSSSSS!"

There was that 'US' thing again.

Even if Snake felt some sort of connection between himself and the President, Vanellope was no longer so sure as she was starting to feel more and more isolated from the others, even those she had called friend.

"Lemme make tha choice on this one, Snake." Vanellope said "I already made too many mistakes in tha past. I wanna start doin' somethin' right NOW."


End file.
